More than half of Indigenous peoples in Canada live in urban centres. An urban centre is defined as an urban area with a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density no less than 400 people per square kilometre.
Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP) was created in 2017, based on feedback received during the engagement on the Archived – Urban Aboriginal Strategy that took place in 2016.
UPIP is designed to assist status and non-status First Nations, Inuit and Métis living in or transitioning to urban centres. Funding is also available for organizations that serve rural and northern areas that act as hubs for those living on reserves or in smaller northern settlements.