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Dear members,
On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation it is important for us to come together as a sector and take time to reflect on how we can do better to stand up for our Indigenous communities.
It is no secret that we have a past steeped in discrimination and a present that has been built on an unfair system of colonialism. With the recent and continued discoveries of unmarked graves of Indigenous children across Canada, it is important that we take time to acknowledge and denounce these atrocities, especially today. We grieve for these children and their families as well as for other Indigenous lives cut short. We need to recognize and support residential school survivors in their healing and prioritize Indigenous lives in order to begin to move forward together in a positive way.
The following resolution was passed by the AMCTO Board of Directors on September 24, 2021:
At AMCTO, we acknowledge and recognize September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As a Board and on behalf of the Association, we are committed to reviewing the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and continuing to educate ourselves on decolonization, diversity, equity and inclusion, and the best ways we can support our members and communities in advancing this work. We are also committed to amplifying the voices of our members and their municipality's work on advancing truth and reconciliation.
We would also like to acknowledge and recognize that the work of our members takes place on traditional Indigenous land across Ontario. We acknowledge that the AMCTO office is located on the traditional Indigenous territory of the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Anishinabek and the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Furthermore, we are committed to ensuring our approach to advocacy comes with an intersectional lens by continuing to welcome new and diverse perspectives. I look forward to sharing more on this as we continue to build on our policy priorities and begin to develop our new 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.
On behalf of an Association that supports municipal professionals from all 444 municipalities across the province, I hope you take time today to reflect and speak to your colleagues, family and friends about the importance of truth and reconciliation. If you have not done so already, I encourage you to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports and Calls to Action and commit to ways your organization can be accountable.
I also want to thank you for your continued hard work in serving and supporting our communities throughout the pandemic. We know that municipalities have struggled and continue to face challenges when it comes to addressing important community needs. We appreciate your ongoing dedication and service and thank you for your continued commitment as a member. AMCTO is here to support you and I welcome any feedback you may have for how we can continue to serve you better.
Finally, I invite you to join me in wearing orange today for Orange Shirt Day to recognize the lived experiences of residential school survivors and their families. As a sector, we have a lot of work still to do to advance truth and reconciliation. Let this day be a day of reflection and a commitment to do better.
Sincerely,
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