Bruce County Council received an update on the Indigenous Reconciliation Framework and Saugeen Anishnaabek Reconciliation Pathway and Action Plan.
Starting back in January 2022, the county has been working to come up with a comprehensive plan to ensure that the entire county, including the First Nations, would be able to develop a plan that everyone could benefit from.
“As a county, we’re on the cusp of great things and growing,” says Warden Chris Peabody. “But we cannot prosper as a community if a few communities – Saugeen and Nawash – are left behind.”
The two documents presented to council on Thursday, the Indigenous Reconciliation Framework and the Saugeen Anishnaabek Reconciliation Pathway and Action Plan were presented by the office of the CAO.
The two documents are meant to focus on cultural awareness, collaborative reconciliation efforts, and fostering respectful relationships between the county and Indigenous peoples.
Council was glad to see the framework presented, and Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau thanked the Warden and staff for putting the reports together and shared that he was looking forward to making progress.
“It’s a tremendous document and the results from a lot of collaboration between yourselves and the First Nations. [There] may be more to say when we consider it finally at a summer session but I think it’s good work and it’s appreciated.”
The county says that its approach to reconciliation aspires to make space for acknowledging and responding to the specific aspirations, priorities, and circumstances of Indigenous peoples, as well as those who identify across diverse forms of connectedness.