Six years ago, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops co-hosted their first Community to Community forum after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its 95 Calls to Action. That gathering, and momentum from the national TRC process, inspired the City and First Nation to commit to building genuine relationships to work towards progress on the Calls to Action that were within a local government’s purview.
What started with a formal Letter of Understanding in 2019 has evolved into integrated service delivery models, regular back-and-forth support, consultation, learning, and shared decision-making. And, perhaps most importantly a deepened level of trust.
Staff on both teams have invested time and concerted effort to engage well. Results include: collaborative crisis management where impacts affect both organizations, co-developed working groups for social issues and recreation, more inclusive and transparent planning practices, consensus-based decision-making for certain events like Canada Day, bi-annual Community to Community forums, and emergency preparedness.
In 2021 the City hired a full-time archaeologist to support archaeological assessment, education, and stewardship on City projects. Procedures developed have been shared with the wider community to support shared responsibilities under the Heritage Conservation Act and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Through these more frequent interactions, trust and friendships developed that led to tangible outcomes on initiatives. As the relationship grew, opportunities for joint projects arose with serious commitment from both governments to investigate and work together,” staff wrote.
The commitment from members of both organizations caught the eye of the UBCM President’s Committee for the 2023 Community Excellence Award.
The deadline to submit a nomination for the 2024 CEA awards is May 17, 2024.