About

Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society
Building Futures Today

ACCESS offers customized employment and training services designed specifically to provide members of the Lower Mainland urban Aboriginal community with the education and skills to compete equally and effectively in today’s job market. ACCESS and its partners programs for this fiscal year were the CORE Construction Program, the Aboriginal Piping Program, First Aid Level-3 Training, and a unique partnership with Tale’awtxw Aboriginal Capital Corporation for Aboriginal entrepreneurs, and many more as determined by industry need and a client’s career path.

ACCESS delivers an assortment of training, counseling, support and financial services designed to help members of the urban Aboriginal community overcome employment barriers that may stand in the way of success and self-sufficiency.

Financial assistance is provided for short-term, long-term and/or project based training with selected educational partners and agencies. Some examples of short-term and ACCESS' funded training programs has included Banquet Server Training at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Helping Spirit Lodge Society's Choices Pre-employment Bridging Program for Women, BladeRunners. ACCESS also provides funding for projects, programs and apprenticeships that provide practical, hands-on training, and/or work experience. Aboriginal youth are a major focus of these initiatives.

Our Sponsors

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Service Canada and the BC Government.

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A Message from our CEO
John Webster

Welcome! Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS) is very proud to present our newly redesigned website. ACCESS Building Futures Today has been around for many years with many wonderful success stories of Aboriginal individuals who have come to our organization for help in finding a job or to gain experience in many different areas of programs that we offer.

Our mission statement has been an important part of the way we operate at ACCESS:

"To provide training and human resource development opportunities that inspire,
nurture & encourage urban Aboriginal people on their journey to success."

We hope you find our site informative and inspirational for you to strive towards your goals and aspirations. From all of our staff, our board of directors, and myself, have a good day.

Urban Spirit Foundation

1. The name of the society is: Urban Spirit Foundation

2. The purposes of the society are:

a. To develop and deliver programs and services that provide education and training and that enhance job and career opportunities for urban youth-at-risk (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal)

b. To provide post-secondary scholarships based on need and ability to persons of Aboriginal descent who are pursuing post-secondary studies in fields that will help meet the specific needs of Firs Nations, Inuit, or Métis peoples and communities in Canada

c. To relieve poverty amoung urban Aboriginal individuals and families by providing food hampers, clothing, bus passes, emergency funds and similar assistance in times of need

3. The society shall be carried on without purposes of profit for its members or directors , and any income, profits or other accretions to the society shall be used in advancing its purposes. This provision is unalterable.

4. In the event of the dissolution or winding-up of the society, the remaining assets, after payment of all debts and liabilities, shall be transferred to a registered charitable organization or a charitable foundation in British Columbia or elsewhere in Canada as the members determine. This provision is unalterable.

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Meet Our Board of Directors

Front row: Hazel Cardinal, Susan Tatoosh-Chairperson, Marg White-Vice Chairperson.
Back row: Merv Thomas, Damon Johnston, David Johnson, Ken Clement,
Cameron McBeth, Jerry Adams-Treasurer, and Huia Martin.
Not Showing: Linda Gray,

About the Artist & His Art: "Silence"

Artist, Andy Everson, released this amazing artwork titled "Silence", Edition 99, June 2007. The water flickers with the light of the moon. The wind out in the strait is uncharacteristically calm. Three brothers continue their tasks without a sound—silence. Mind you, the silence is not uncomfortable—everyone has their job to do. Even the moon knows that it is helping by lighting up the otherwise black night. No, the silence offers the brothers a chance to bond in a way that only brothers can. A common pursuit, a common lineage: solidarity, sodality and silence on a moonlit night. more >>>

Click Here to visit Andy Everson's site to purchase this print.