Engage for Change

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Engage for Change

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The City of Kingston acknowledges that we are on the traditional homeland of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and the Huron-Wendat, and thanks these nations for their care and stewardship over this shared land. 

Today, the City is committed to working with Indigenous peoples and all residents to pursue a united path of reconciliation. 


The City of Kingston is home to a diverse group of First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples who come from many different Nations and communities across Canada. Members of the local Indigenous community have helped to shape the direction of the Engage for Change program, giving direct input into Indigenous initiatives that are supported by the City of Kingston and making recommendations for how the City and the Indigenous community can move forward together in a good way.  

The Engage for Change project seeks to re-frame the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Kingston with the goal of supporting a community that integrates and respects Indigenous Peoples’ identities, voices, languages and culture.  

Engage for Change Phase III

The focus areas listed below represent the work underway as part of Engage for Change Phase III. These focus areas described in detail in the most recent Engage for Change Council Report. You can learn more about the first two phases of Engage for Change through the council reports linked in the related documents section of this page.   

  • Support for an Interim Indigenous Community Centre/Gathering Space  
  • Development of a Relationship Protocol between Host Nations and the City of Kingston  
  • Support for the formation of an Indigenous-led Community Council/Advisory Committee  
  • A City Hall meeting space to be renamed and appropriately decorated in consultation with the local Indigenous community  
  • The Market Wing Renovation at City Hall to include an installation on local Indigenous Culture and Indigenous history led by an Indigenous Curator  
  • Policy on the Use of Traditional Medicines on City-owned Property 
  • Cultural awareness training, community and Council and staff  
  • Community Resources Website and Events Calendar
  • Ongoing support for community led programming and events    

Upcoming Supported Events and Community Meetings

Community Events and Meetings between March and September were impacted and delayed by the emergency declarations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • March 3, 2020  
    • Phase II report to City Council and direction to begin Phase III  
  • March 2020  
    • Staff began assessments of potential sites for the interim community gathering/meeting space  
  • June 2020   
    • Proclamation of June as National Indigenous Peoples Month   
    • June 21, Support of Online Celebration of Kingston National Indigenous Peoples Day  
  • September 2020  
    • Staff restart assessments of potential sites for interim community gathering/meeting space  
    • September 30, Orange Shirt Day  
  • October 2020 
    • Staff to finalize list of potential interim gathering/meeting space sites  
    • Staff to share potential sites with the community for review in advance of a community meeting to discuss  
    • Support for Online Kataraqui Indigenous Day of Wellness  
  • November 2020 
    • Engage for Change Phase III Community Meeting  
      • To review the phase III initiatives and timelines with community  
      • To discuss in circle the options for an interim gathering space and to establish next steps in confirming the space and its operations  
  • December 2020 
    • Follow-up meeting with community about interim gathering/meeting space. 

Pointing the Way

Kingston's Engage for Change project is rooted in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and guided by recommendations contained in the Truth and Reconciliation Findings and 94 Calls to Action.

The first phase of the City of Kingston's Engage for Change: YGK Reconciliation Journey won the Award of Excellence, Cultural Events, from the Creative City Network of Canada – read the full report on the project.

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