We have been silenced
for too long,
placed into boxes
we didn’t create.
We are The Ballantyne Project, created to support young Indigenous Peoples on their journey, uplift them, and help them regain their voices.
“My life had just begun, at the age of 21.”
Dwight Ballantyne
we see you, because we are you
For my first 21 years I grew up in Montreal Lake Cree Nation, a northern Saskatchewan reserve with a population of 1,200. The only buildings we had were a band office, school, health center, arena and convenience store/gas station. I grew up feeling invisible and not understanding why I did not have access to the same resources and opportunities as other Canadian youth.
Many are unaware of the unique challenges Indigenous youth living in northern and/or remote First Nations face.
Dwight Ballantyne founded The Ballantyne Project in 2019 to change that.
Justice
Indigenous youth made up 46% of admissions to correctional services in 2016-17 while making up only 8% of the youth population.
Home
In Canada, 52.2% of children in foster care are Indigenous, but account for only 7.7% of the child population according to Census 2016.
Suicide
The suicide rate among Indigenous youth aged 15-24 is 5 to 6 times the rate seen in the general Canadian population.
Security
Results from the 2011 National Household Survey show that 38% of Indigenous children in Canada live in poverty, compared to 7% for non-Indigenous children.
OUR MISSION:
Amplify the unheard
voices of Indigenous Youth
The Ballantyne Project is a collective of revolutionaries looking to break through barriers and build bridges that connect us to our futures.
Through workshops, partnerships, campaigns and talks we work tirelessly to create valuable experiences and educational opportunities that support Indigenous youth first.
How The Ballantyne Project Works
Build a relationship + establish trust with a First Nation
Listen to + learn about the needs of that First Nation
Find the right partners to activate projects that fulfill those needs
Grow + maintain those projects to ensure long-term success
25+ Remote communities REACHED
14,000+lbs of food delivered
10,000+ students presented TO
25+ Remote communities REACHED 14,000+lbs of food delivered 10,000+ students presented TO
#WESEEYOU trips
The Ballantyne Project has also designed ALL INCLUSIVE educational and life experience trips specifically for Indigenous youth from remote and northern First Nations in Canada.
Our 7 day #WESEEYOU Trip is now being offered in april and in the fall of 2024.
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Transportation to Vancouver, BC
6 nights in a hotel with pool and laundry
Meals including specialty restaurants
Transportation to excursions by shuttle bus, skytrain and city bus
Cooking in a commercial kitchen with an Indigenous Chef
A tour of Capilano University including the Indigenous Film Program and student dorms
A tour of a Trade School
Laser tag in a 7500 sq ft arena
Indoor rock climbing
Indoor mini golf lit up by black lights so the course glows in the dark
The Rec Room with 90 arcade games, VXR car simulator and more
Trip to the ocean
AND MORE!
Each #WeSeeYou Trip will include youth and chaperones from 3 First Nations from across Canada.
