Chamber: Truth and Reconciliation Requires Action and Partnership

(Toronto – September 30, 2022) –To mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released the following statement:

“Indigenous Peoples make up the fastest growing population in Canada and continue to face systemic barriers to their economic and social well-being,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, OCC. “Every sector has a role to play in advancing Truth and Reconciliation and ensuring equitable outcomes across the country.”

While today presents an opportunity to amplify Indigenous voices and commit to continuous learning and unlearning, the work does not end here. As a collective, we must recognize the lasting legacy and impacts of colonialism, the inter-generational effects of residential ‘schools’ and the ongoing systemic racism facing Indigenous communities across Canada.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 92 calls on businesses to advance economic reconciliation and Indigenous economic inclusion by:

• Building meaningful, respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples;
• Ensuring equitable employment and economic development opportunities for Indigenous communities; and
• Providing skills-based staff training in intercultural competency and anti-racism.

“Indigenous leaders have emphasized the need for truth before meaningful reconciliation can happen. Today, we call on businesses to honour Survivors and their families by leaning into discomfort and deepening their understanding of the history and legacy of residential ‘schools’,” said Sara Fegelman, Senior Policy Analyst, OCC.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

 For more information, please contact:

Andrea Carmona
Manager, Public Affairs
andreacarmona@occ.ca | Mobile: 647-234-0255

Backgrounder:

Resources:

• Government of Ontario: National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Learn about and reflect on the ongoing legacy of Indian Residential Schools
• Government of Canada: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• Reclaiming Power and Place: Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
• Business Reconciliation in Canada Guidebook
• National Indigenous Economic Strategy
• The Bank of Montreal (BMO), together with the First Nations University of Canada, is marking this year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by providing an interactive e-learning initiative, nisitohtamowin ᓂᓯᑐᐦᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ(pronounced: nis-toh-tum-win), free to the public for the next three years. Nisitohtamowin introduces participants to the fundamentals of Indigenous history: the diversity of Indigenous peoples, treaties and nation-to-nation agreements, residential schools, the Indian Act and the ongoing struggle for economic and social justice. More information can be found at fnuniv.ca/reconciliation.

Select books by Indigenous authors:

• 21 Things You Might Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
• Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
• Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance by Jesse Wente
• In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience by Helen Knott

Mental health supports offered by the Government of Canada:

• Residential ‘School’ Survivors can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada.
• Indigenous peoples across Canada can also access The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the .