Communities Reconciling

In June 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released 94 Calls to Action, resulting from the six years of hearings and testimony organized by the TRC.

Local Pathways to Reconciliation

Local governments across the country are responding to the call of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The following chart provides examples of ways to move forward on the reconciliation journey at the local level.

For further examples, or to add your own, please see:

Joint Indigenous and Local Government Relations Database

A collection of resources related to initiatives, agreements, arrangements, partnerships, and the provision of services between Indigenous governments and organizations, and local governments in British Columbia.

Pathways to Collaboration Case Studies

Joint initiative by UBCM, the Province of British Columbia, and the First Nations Summit with funding from the Indigenous Business & Investment Council, showcasing econcomic development collaborations.

Organization	Initiative	Project Types
District of 100 Mile House	Participated in and contributed to Remembering, Recovering, and Reconciling – St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemorative Project.	Commemoration
Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District	Encouraged its members to declare a Year of Reconciliation, and undertake further actions to inform themselves and raise awareness about reconciliation and the impact of Indian residential schools within the region. Dedicated a section of its website to reconciliation information and activities. Invited Dr. Robert Joseph, from Reconciliation Canada, to meet with local leaders and senior staff.	Awareness Regular meetings
City of Calgary	Declared a Year of Reconciliation and endorsed the TRC’s Calls to Action.	Awareness Endorsement
Cariboo Regional District	Participated in and contributed to Remembering, Recovering, and Reconciling – St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemorative Project.	Commemoration
City of Edmonton	Endorsed the TRC Summary Report, and declared a Year of Reconciliation. Endorsed the Edmonton Urban Aboriginal Accord principle-based relationship agreement between Aboriginal communities and City of Edmonton, implementing commitments from the "Strengthening Relationships between the City of Edmonton and Urban Aboriginal People" declaration of Edmonton City Council.	Endorsement Declaration Agreement
Esket'emc First Nation	Participated in and contributed to Remembering, Recovering, and Reconciling – St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemorative Project.	Commemoration
Federation of Canadian Municipalities	FCM's Big City Mayors' Caucus released a Statement of Reconciliation.	Statement
Metro Vancouver	Endorsed TRC Summary Report. Considering further actions to support awareness raising, cultural competency training, and strengthening relationships with First Nations.	Endorsement
City of North Vancouver	Suppported the building of the We Are Still Here Monument.	Commemoration
City of Penticton	Signed agreement with Penticton Indian Band to collaborate on tourism and economic development.	Agreement
Penticton Indian Band	Signed agreement with City of Penticton to collaborate on tourism and economic development.	Agreement
District of Port Hardy	Endorsed the TRC Final Report and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.	Endorsement
City of Prince George	Renamed and recognized Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park and Lheidli T'enneh burial ground. Developed a reconciliation framework, informed by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the TRC recommendations, and the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination. Undertook Indigenous cultural competency training. Held a Reconciliation Symposium. Flying of Lheidli T'enneh flag at City Hall.	Commemoration Framework Other
City of Prince George, Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George	Signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation and Communication.	Agreement
City of Quesnel	Participated in and contributed to Remembering, Recovering, and Reconciling – St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemorative Project.	Commemoration
City of Saskatoon	Year of Reconciliation. Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training for all city employees and Saskatoon Police Service. Implemented programs such as Profile Saskatoon Grant and Urban Aboriginal Leadership Program (with partners). Produced Reconciliation Saskatoon, a month-long schedule of reconciliation events.	Declaration Awareness Program Grant funding
City of Surrey	Published "All Our Relations" report, illuminating facets of the urban Aboriginal population in Surrey.	Awareness
City of Toronto	Year of Reconciliation, and adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.	Declaration
City of Vancouver	Declared "Year of Reconciliation" and implemented a reconciliation framework to build cultural competency, strengthen relations and refine decision-making within the City’s service provision; as well as strengthen relationships with Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and urban Aboriginal communities.	Declaration Framework
Vancouver Park Board	Implemented a reconciliation framework of 11 recommendations in response to TRC Calls to Action.	Framework
City of Victoria	"2017: A Year of Reconciliation" is the theme of Victoria's celebrations of Canada’s 150th year. Commemoration projects around the city honour Lekwungen, Esquimalt and Songhees People. Hold regular meetings with City Council, Esquimalt and Songhees Chiefs and Councils. Public meetings and city proclamations recognize traditional territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt People.	Commemoration Regular meetings Recognition
District of Wells	Participated in and contributed to Remembering, Recovering, and Reconciling – St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemorative Project.	Commemoration
City of Williams Lake	Participated in and contributed to Remembering, Recovering, and Reconciling – St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemorative Project.	Commemoration
City of Winnipeg	Year of Reconciliation, with associated actions such as implementation of TRC recommendations and development of an Urban Aboriginal Accord.	Declaration
Town of Gibsons, District of Sechelt, City of Kamloops, others	Flying of Métis National Flag.	Awareness
City of Powell River, Tla'amin Nation	Consent to have properties within City boundaries designated as Treaty Settlement Land.	Land Designation
Okanagan Indian Band and City of Vernon	Participation in the Community Economic Development Initiative delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers.	Economic Development
'Namgis First Nation and Village of Alert Bay	Joint development of 'Tides of Change', an Economic Development Strategy.	Economic Development
City of Langford, Beecher Bay (Sc'ianew) First Nation, District of Metchosin	Land swap to create jobs, protect greenspace, and secure economic prosperity for the Beecher Bay First Nation.	Economic Development, Joint Planning

Communities Called into Action

Commissioner Dr. Marie Wilson, from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), presented to the plenary at the 2015 UBCM Annual Convention [PDF - 3.4 MB]. She welcomed local governments to the beginning of the reconciliation journey for their own communities. Dr. Wilson reminded the assembly that this is only the beginning of the reconciliation journey, and challenged local governments to advance the process of reconciliation in their own communities.

Legacy

Dr. Wilson identified four Calls to Action that acknowledge the legacy of experiences of Indian Residential Schools. These Calls to Action propose responses that aim to mitigate the negative effects of this legacy upon Indigenous people in Canada.

No.	Scope	Action
17	Language & Culture	Enable affordable reclaiming of personal names.
23	Health	Increase number and retention of Aboriginal health professionals. Mandate and provide cultural competency training for all care providers.
40 41	Justice	Create and evaluate Aboriginal-specific victim programs and services. Undertake a public inquiry into disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls, including missing and murdered, considered in the context of the intergenerational legacy of Indian Residential Schools.

Reconciliation

Dr. Wilson also identified twelve Calls to Action that seek to move towards reconciliation between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people in all aspects of life, government, and business in Canada.

No.	Scope	Action
47	United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples	Adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as a framework for ongoing reconciliation.
47	Doctrine of Discovery	Repudiate and reform policies or bylaws that rely on concepts of European sovereignty.
55	National Council for Reconciliation	Monitor and report progress on “the legacy gaps” by collecting and evaluating relevant data annually from all orders of government.
57	Professional Development	Educate public servants regarding residential schools, UNDRIP, treaties, anti-racism, intercultural competency, and human rights.
64	Education	Require publically funded denominational schools to teach comparative religious studies, including Aboriginal spiritual beliefs.
75 76 82	Missing Children, Commemoration, Monuments	Collaborate to identify, maintain, honour and commemorate gravesites of missing residential school children; support the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; and install in capital cities visible monuments in memory of the experiences and legacy of Indian Residential Schools.
77	National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation	Gather, preserve, and provide access to archival records that reflect experiences and legacy of Indian Residential Schools.
87 88 91	Indigenous Sports	Educate the public regarding athletic history and champions; support Indigenous athletic development and competitions; respect Indigenous territorial protocols and involvement of Indigenous communities in event planning and participation.
92	Business & Reconciliation	Adopt and apply UNDRIP to policy and land considerations; commit to relationship-building and consultation, and informed consent on development projects; ensure equitable access to jobs, training, and professional development.