City of Toronto: Reconciliation Action Plan

On Wednesday, I was proud to share details on the City of Toronto's first Reconciliation Action Plan which goes to the Executive Committee for consideration next week.?

This plan, as it continues to evolve over time, will guide the Toronto Public Service over the next 10 years – from 2022 to 2032 – to advance truth, justice and reconciliation in Toronto. While a lot of work has been done by the federal government – and much of the conversation has been at that level, as the largest municipality in Canada, with a large and diverse Indigenous population, it's essential that we as a City also do our part and help lead the way in furthering the reconciliation movement in Canada.

I want Toronto to be in a position of leadership when it comes to reconciliation both because we do have a large Indigenous population but even more so because it is the right thing to do. That’s why under my leadership we created Toronto’s first ever Indigenous Affairs Office - an important step forward and a statement in and of itself that Truth and Reconciliation were going to be treated as a government wide priority in Toronto.

While we have made significant progress over the years, we know there is still much more we can and must do.?

This plan represents a solid and committed base and I will be looking for Indigenous communities to shape it, to evolve it as we work together to bring about real reconciliation.

We know there is an urgent need to confront the lasting legacy of colonialism and redress the harm inflicted on generations of Indigenous peoples. This was made all the more clear this past year, as we continued to mourn the young lives stolen by Canada's residential and day school system and continued to experience more shameful revelations.

This Reconciliation Action Plan will help advance the city's efforts through 28 meaningful and concrete actions across five themes:?

?? Actions to restore truth

?? Actions to right relations and share power

?? Actions for justice

?? Actions to make financial reparations

?? Actions for the Indigenous Affairs Office

As a city we will also continue to support Indigenous health, safety and well-being, increase access to affordable housing, and support Indigenous businesses, entrepreneurs and artists.?

Affordable housing has been a major priority for the community and as a result will be a major driver for us. Last year we made it a top priority to allocate funding to the creation of 5,200 affordable rental homes 'for Indigenous, by Indigenous' in partnership with Miziwe Biik Development Corporation.

Indigenous leaders told me directly about the need for the housing itself but also the necessity of Indigenous communities being real partners in the development of that housing and we are responding. This is part of City Council’s request that at least 20 per cent of the $132 million to support the creation of affordable rental housing under the Federal Government’s Rapid Housing Initiative is allocated for Indigenous people, by Indigenous organizations.

This is on top of the commitment made through the first phase of the Rapid Housing Initiative which allocated 20 per cent of the 540 units for the Indigenous community. Beyond housing, there is a lot to cover and we are committed to dedicating the necessary financial resources towards supporting the actions identified in the plan.?

Overall in 2022 alone, our immediate focus will be on establishing processes, relationships and priorities as we begin to implement the plan, as well as continuing the critical work that has already begun, including:

?? The Indigenous Crisis Response Pilot which will test a new, non-police led approach to non-emergency, non-violent calls, including those involving persons in crisis and wellness checks. This pilot will be Indigenous-led and people with lived experience will respond and support the needs of the Indigenous community. They will respond to appropriate calls made to 911 and 211 for mental health crises.

?? Construction of the Indian Residential School Survivors Spirit Garden at Nathan Phillips Square, in partnership with Toronto Council Fire. Through this permanent feature we will honour residential school survivors and all the children who were tragically lost. The construction of this important new tribute at the very heart of the city will be substantially completed by late 2023. I am proud to say that the City is contributing $13 million towards this project.?

?? Finding an operator for the Indigenous Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ICIE). The ICIE will be a space for the Indigenous community to explore their entrepreneurial aspirations by providing space, business programming, advisory services, mentorship supports, shared co-workspace, community event space and connections to business networks.?