About Us

Background

The Helping Spirit Lodge Society was founded as a result of community discussions and decisions made during community forums held in 1989 and 1990. The United Native Nations originally sponsored the project and opened an office for the Society on February 1, 1990. Helping Spirit Lodge Society became a registered non-profit organization on August 3, 1990.

The Society has a broad mandate to implement strategies for intervention and prevention of domestic violence.

Our first project was SPIRIT LODGE, a safe transition house for abused and battered women and children which opened in 1991.

We now offer a wide range of programs to the Aboriginal Community with more on the horizon.

Our Sponsors

We want to gratefully acknowledge our present and past funding partners who have helped us to realize our mission.

• Aboriginal Healing Foundation
• Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS)
• BC Gaming Commission
• BC Housing
• BC Ministry of Community, Aboriginal & Women’s Services
• Greater Vancouver Regional District (representing the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative)
• Greater Vancouver Urban Aboriginal Strategy
• Human Resources & Skills Development Canada
• Legal Services Society of BC
• Lu’ma Native Housing Society (representing the National Homelessness Partnership Initiatives)
• Native Women’s Association of Canada
• Scotiabank
• Status of Women Canada
• Telus
• United Way
• VanCity
• Vancouver Foundation
• Vancouver Native Health Society
• Variety Club of BC

Executive Board of Directors

Helping Spirit Lodge Society feels it is important to honor and acknowledge everyone who has contributed to building a safer and healthier community.

Bertha Tallio, President, Board of Directors
Laura Talbot, Elder and Treasurer
Natalie Pritchard, Board Member
Denise Bogle , Board Member
Dorothy Bolen, Board Member

Honouring Past Board Members

Profiles

Hazel Cardinal, Executive Director

Hazel Cardinal, Cree, is from the Onion Lake Band near Edmonton Alberta. She has five sisters and one brother. Hazel is a proud mother of six children and has 13 grandchildren.

Effective January 3 rd , 2006, Hazel Cardinal is the Executive Director of Helping Spirit Lodge Society.

Hazel has always worked with people. She loves meeting new people and making new friends in the community. Hazel has worked since the age of 13; her first job was working in a restaurant. Then, she became an owner of a hairdressing shop and worked several years in Hotel Management.

She worked and assisted with abusive men, court–mandated to Pound Maker's Lodge in Edmonton, Alberta. Hazel had completed numerous courses in counseling, conflict resolution and case management. Hazel is a strong visionary leader and has been very instrumental in facilitating and making change in the lives of Aboriginal women and children. Hazel is a wonderful role model and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience at the local, regional, national levels in working with and for First Nations Peoples.

Since moving to Vancouver, BC, Hazel has worked with women and children who are fleeing from the cycle of violence. Hazel's first position with Helping Spirit Lodge was a casual support worker in 1993. She has worked with Helping Spirit Lodge in several departments: support worker, outreach/advocacy worker, program coordinator and has worked her way up to the position of Executive Director. While Hazel did not attend residential school, she is very aware of the difficulties of intergenerational residential school abuse as she researched this field extensively and works with women and children whose families attended residential school. However, she had family members who attended residential schools in Saskatchewan.

Bertha Tallio, President, Board of Directors

Bertha Tallio “ Bert” is Nuxamkmc from the Nuzalk Nation (Bella Coola, BC) but was raised on the sunshine coast and has now lived for more than 20 years in Vancouver BC.

Bert attended Simon Fraser University where she earned 3 out of 4 years toward her Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology and a minor in English but the call of pay cheque lured her away to the federal government in 1978 where she has remained since.

Bert has held various positions within the federal government such as Administrative Assistant, Employment Counselor Assistant and Service Delivery Agent, which she is still working today. Since 1990, Bert has also had 6 surgeries on her right hip but has maintained her job and her spirit.

Bert has actively helped to raise many of her nieces and nephews and she is now thrilled to be a grand auntie (Grantie) and revels in the opportunity to continue with loving and supporting her nieces' and nephews' children.

Bertha Tallio has been on the Board Of Directors since 1992 and President for many of those years. She brings her love, support and commitment, dedication to the society as she volunteers to work with the women and children for SPIRIT WAY and RECLAIMING OUR SPIRIT.

Laura Talbot, Elder/Treasurer

Helping Spirit Lodge Society would like to introduce you to one of our favourite and respected Elders, Laura Talbot. Laura Talbot has been a cherished member of the Helping Spirit Lodge Society's team for over ten years. Her exuberant personality and her wonderful sense of humour light up SPIRIT LODGE.

Laura is from the Tshimpshian Nation, Raven Clan. She was born in a little village at the mouth of the Skeena River called Spokeshute. The village is no longer in existence. To non-Natives, it is better known as Port Essington. Laura is the mother of seven (7) children, eighteen (18) grandchildren and twenty-seven (27) great grandchildren and a great-great granddaughter named Alexandria-Lynn. Laura and her husband spent forty-three (43) years bringing the children up in Port Alberni.

In the early 1970’s, Laura joined the BC Association of Non-Status Indians, now known as United Native Nations. A dedicated group of people set up a Local in Port Alberni. They had a dream to start programs for Native people according to their needs, and building a Native Care Home for Elders. That Local still survives as one of the most successful Locals in BC. Port Alberni is proof that working together is the key to survival.

Laura is young at heart and as long as the Creator grants her continued good health, she will continue to be part of any team that supports women and children in their fight for survival.

Laura was part of the research team that helped to make Helping Spirit Lodge Society a reality. Laura Talbot firmly believes that“when caring people come together, they can accomplish anything” and this is her dream for Helping Spirit Lodge Society.

Laura was unanimously voted to the Helping Spirit Lodge Society as a Board Member in 1995. In 1996, she was unanimously voted in as the Elder of Helping Spirit Lodge Society and its membership. Laura is a valuable asset to the Society. She serves as a role model to all Helping Spirit Lodge Society’s programs. Thank you, Laura Talbot, for being a part of our team.

Natalie Pritchard, Secretary

Natalie Pritchard has been voted in the board as of September 2007 at the annual general meeting. More to come soon.