Indigenous Justice Centre to open in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John will be one of six cities around the province to open an Indigenous Justice Centre (IJC) centring on First Nations’ justice strategy.

The energetic city will join Kamloops, Williams Lake, Cranbrook, Port Hardy and a shared location between the towns of Burns Lake and Hazelton, according to a press release.

A BC First Nations Justice Council spokesperson told Energeticcity.ca that a location has been identified for the Fort St. John site, but the details have not yet been released because consultations with local First Nation leaders are ongoing.

This process was delayed by wildfires in the region and the centre is not expected to open until at least the spring, they said.

Kory Wilson, chair of the BC First Nations Justice Council, and deputy premier Niki Sharma announced the new centres on February 6th.

The new IJCs – which aim to “embrace with care”  First Nations members needing legal services – bring the total number in BC to 15.

“It is incredible to reflect on what First Nations, the BC First Nations Justice Council and the province have collaboratively achieved,” said Wilson.  “IJCs provide Indigenous clients with optimum legal representation and access to wraparound services that extend beyond their legal needs.”

Centering on offering culturally appropriate legal advice and support, IJCs were designed to assist Indigenous people at a community level.

This can involve legal and outreach teams using their expertise to support and heal Indigenous clients using “restorative justice”, according to the release. 

It aims to help First Nations members prevent future interactions within the justice system.

The six centres announced on Thursday will join current IJCs in Chilliwack, Kelowna, Merritt, Nanaimo, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria. 

In addition, a virtual IJC operates remotely for the entire province. 

The network of IJCs was first created by the province as part of the NDP government’s 2023 budget, with the province committing $44 million over three years for the centres.

B.C. announced that all Indigenous clients, regardless of their legal aid qualifications, can access all services at IJCs last March.

More information about how to access IJCs is available at the First Nations Justice Council website.

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