The Government of British Columbia has provided $40,000 to the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, to help establish the Greater Victoria urban reconciliation pilot project.

This partnership project will include provincial and municipal governments and Indigenous partners, who will work together to develop plans to support reconciliation for urban Indigenous peoples in Greater Victoria.

“Our government is moving forward on reconciliation, in partnership with Indigenous peoples, to make life better for everyone in British Columbia. Every person in B.C. has a role to play in reconciliation, to understand our shared history, and work together to heal and build a better future,” said Scott Fraser, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. “One of our key priorities is to work collaboratively and respectfully with Indigenous peoples, to establish a clear vision of reconciliation, and this project will help define what that means in Greater Victoria.”

Reconciliation is a broad and complex notion that can mean different things to different people at different times. To help determine the best approach in the development of this pilot project, a steering committee has been established to explore, with the urban community, what reconciliation looks like for Greater Victoria.

The steering committee will reach out to the community, such as universities, colleges, program and service providers, police, religious organizations, the arts community, and more, who will generate ideas that will inform proposed tangible actions. The voices of Indigenous urban citizens, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations in the Victoria area, will be invited to explore common areas of work and interests related to reconciliation in the urban context.

“Understanding how reconciliation will impact Victoria is a journey. The steering committee is not representative, and does not speak on behalf of any community members, but instead views itself as a conduit for the work of reconciliation,” said Ron Rice, executive director of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. “Many local agencies and individuals are actively pursuing reconciliation activities, and we want to support and build off those successes.”

The project can be used as a model for advancing reconciliation in other urban areas of the province.

With National Indigenous Peoples Day coming up on June 21, 2018, this reconciliation project is one of many areas where the Province is advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. The Province’s focus on building a true and lasting vision of reconciliation is anchored by a cross-government commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and case law.

The provincial government is making significant new investments in Indigenous priorities and reconciliation, with more than $250 million allocated over the next three years in the areas of affordable housing, language revitalization, child care, mental health and addictions, reducing poverty, improving access to justice, skills training, emergency management and revitalizing the environmental assessment process.

Learn More:

Victoria Native Friendship Centre: www.vnfc.ca