October's Remarks

We would like to, first and foremost, acknowledge that we are presently meeting on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabeg – Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial. We extend our deepest gratitude for the ability to build our lives and meet on their land. Our role as settlers must begin with taking self responsibility and active allyship in the reconciliation process. No culture is a monolith, so seek out knowledge on the peoples who lived and continue to live on the land.

My co-chair Deepika and I have put a lot of thought and time into re-creating these meetings as a place of action and accountability. Today we introduce the sub-committees in alignment with the Equity Roadmap that we as a committee has determined should be our focus. While this is something we are putting forward to you, we still encourage and require your input and support. If you feel there are areas in which we are lacking in representation I encourage you to speak on it. We will continue to seek your collaboration to make this a collective endeavour towards equity and healing.

With these new initiatives being introduced we can hold the two conflicting feelings of gratitude that they exist and grief for the generations of children who have been underserved and maligned. We will work at holding space for both realities, work towards future progress without dismissing past harm. Please know that your lived experience is an asset here, everything you say or feel is valid and please know that we are immensely grateful for your presence in whatever capacity you have tonight and throughout the school year.

We will discuss a variety of data points but let’s not ever forget that these are children, they are vibrant, brilliant and beautiful beings.