Officials weigh in on reconciliation

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This article was published 03/10/2022 (1234 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Collaboration across city organizations is making truth and reconciliation a part of everyday life, from business to law enforcement and city operations.

Saturday’s events for Truth and Reconciliation Week centred around progress and challenges to integrating Indigenous people into their training, business and educational plans. Discussion panels running on the Fusion Credit Stage featured key stakeholders from municipal institutions.

One panel included Brandon city manager Ron Bowles, Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Tanya LaBuick, Joy Escalera of Westman Immigrant Services, Brandon Police Service Chief Wayne Balcaen and Michael Cameron, dean of community development at Assiniboine Community College.

For the chamber’s efforts into reconciliation, LaBuick said its members have been working to establish stronger connections with Indigenous-owned and -led businesses.

To speak on the progress of the chamber staff’s progress, general manager Connor Ketchen said they are a staff of four and relatively young. During Truth and Reconciliation Week, they’ve been having open and honest conversations about their participation and have been encouraged to participate throughout the week.

That participation for staff has been about opportunities; to learn, meet with other organizations and strengthen ties with the Indigenous business community.

“It’s about reaching out to emerging and established Indigenous businesses,” he said. “Trying to diversify, finding sponsorship opportunities within the business community, land acknowledgments at all of our events, education for our staff throughout the week.”

Chamber staff have been taking on these tasks with enthusiasm, he said. They have been looking for every chance to learn through knowledge sessions and engagements. For reaching out to Indigenous businesses, it’s about learning how they can better understand their needs and making connections.

In terms of policing, Balcaen said they have a strategic plan available for public viewing on the BPS website. Prior to becoming chief of police, Balcaen said he worked with the Brandon Friendship Centre and for the past 12 years on the executive committee for the Interprovincial Association on Native Employment.

A big part of their input is working with an Indigenous Advisory Committee with status and non-status Indigenous people. BPS meets quarterly with this group and out of those meetings, take the information they receive and move it forward.

Education has been a big part of reconciliation, he said.

It isn’t just for schools and colleges, but rather incumbent on every person to have their own educational journey, he said. Internally, they teach Indigenous values they learned from knowledge keepers.

“The most profound part that I found was the actual development of truth and reconciliation from Senator Murray Sinclair and his words that education got us into this mess, and only education will get us out of this mess,” Balcaen said.

To encourage the next generation, BPS awards a scholarship each year to deserving Indigenous students to attend either Brandon University or Assiniboine Community College. During his tenure, Balcaen said BPS has awarded about 25 of those scholarships.

One area of the strategic plan Balcaen said he is particularly fond of is work with Community Mobilization Westman, which helps people he said are at acute risk. This initiative not only serves Brandon, but a large swath of the Westman region, covering 21,000 square kilometres and serving 107,000 people.

It has connections with Dakota-Ojibway Family Services, the Manitoba Métis Federation, Brandon Friendship Centre and many other Indigenous organizations.

“If we find someone who meets that acute threshold, we bring the services to that person,” he said. “We are breaking down the red tape many people experience when trying to access services. I’m proud of that because it’s a true collaborative effort within our community to break down barriers and help people who need it.”

At the city, Bowles said there is a lot happening, but he was particularly happy to focus on employee training. The reason for this training, he said, was simple: it’s the right thing to do, and it gives them a chance to talk as a collective about Truth and Reconciliation. With 700 employees, they are one of the biggest employers in the city. It’s critical for them to know the history of what happened in the city.

He gave much praise to the Brandon Urban Aboriginal People’s Council, which organized Truth and Reconciliation Week and other Indigenous-led initiatives.

BUAPC was created 12 years ago by Brandon City Council, but is an independent organization dedicated to building relationships. It’s doing innovative work, he said, because last year, it won a national award.

“Brandon has been recognized as best in class for the conversations we are having between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people,” he said.

The willingness to work together was being demonstrated at other events during the day. Several municipal staff and councillors headed out with Indigenous people for a canoe trip on the Assiniboine River from Dinsdale Park to the boat launch on Red Willow Trail at the Riverbank Discovery Centre. Once they returned, BUAPC chair Jeanine Pelletier was asked to say a few words.

She said she hadn’t been in a canoe since she was a child, and it brought back fond memories of herself and her grandfather paddling in a canoe together.

His spirit was with them, she said. As she was thinking about her grandfather just before they left from Dinsdale Park, an eagle flew overhead, which she said was a sign.

With that in mind, she said she would like to see a youth and adult canoe trip for next year’s Truth and Reconciliation Week, knowing many young people likely haven’t been in a canoe in their lives.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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