Family event at Victory Park in Sudbury's Donovan area

A family event is being held Thursday at Sudbury's Victory Park on Frood Road to celebrate the revitalization of the Indigenous EarlyON Child and Family Centre.

Anishinaabe land-based activities for children and families are happening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with free snacks and lunch being served.

Victory Park on Frood Road in Sudbury's Donovan area. Aug. 11/22 (Chelsea Papineau/CTV Northern Ontario)

Better Beginnings Better Futures -- a non-profit community organization serving the Flour Mill and Donovan areas -- is putting on the event and will be showcasing its other programs as well, including:

• Good Food Market
• Community Closet
• Collective Kitchen
• Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting
• Indigenous-led Program
• Student Nutrition Program
• ON y va Moulin à fleur centre pour l'enfant et la famille
• Donovan EarlyON Child and Family Centre
• EarlyON Bay's Breath Child and Teen Family Centre

Children in attendance will receive 'market bucks' to buy fresh fruit and vegetables from the Good Food Market, program manager Angele Young told CTV News.

LEARNING ABOUT INDIGENOUS CULTURE

"We welcome families with children from 0 to 6 years of age. It's early learning programs that are available, so there are a lot of drop-in programs where parents can come and their children can participate in several different early learning activities," Gauthier said.

"The unique thing about this program is that it really incorporates the Indigenous culture. So while it's open to everyone, anybody interested in learning about the culture is absolutely welcome to attend with their children."

Inside the renovated Victory Park field house, the location of the Indigenous EarlyON Child and Family Centre. Aug. 11/22 (Chelsea Papineau/CTV Northern Ontario)

There is no cost to attend the programs, everything is free.

The program was previously called the Aboriginal EarlyON centre and located at St. David's Catholic Elementary School, program coordinator Nancy Gauthier, told CTV News in an interview at the new site.

It moved briefly to Better Beginnings Sudbury's main site on Morin Avenue before relocating to the Victory Park field house right before the pandemic began.

Thursday's grand opening at the park celebrates the return to in-person programming.

Inside the Indigenous EarlyON Child and Family Centre at Victory Park in Sudbury. Aug. 11/22 (Chelsea Papineau/CTV Northern Ontario)

Find more activities being held in Sudbury on the CTV Northern Ontario Community Calendar.