Welcome to Shared Value Solutions' biweekly funding and news digest. We hope it finds you well.
In this issue we share two special blogs posts about a Canada Day that was like no other. We share our reflections and the wise words of Chief Shining Turtle about what it means to be Canadian in a country that is grieving for the children of the residential school system and bringing light to the ongoing systemic racism in Canada. We also share a not-to-be missed podcast Gwayakotam (listening to the truth), a series and community art project that explores the intersection between traditional stories that have been passed down through generations and the contemporary experiences of Aroland First Nation community members with the reconciliation process in Canada.
In SVS News, we welcome our newest team member, Luke Ridgway who joins SVS as a regulatory consultant. We also share a new post in our IndigeSTEAM Careers series. Also, please check out our latest job postings, and share widely with your network. We share our usual inspiring stories from across Turtle Island, as well as our usual round up of funding opportunities for you to check out. Stay well, everyone!
What it means to be Canadian on Canada Day looked a little different this year.
A Canada worth celebrating is one that continues to elevate First Nation, Métis, and Inuit voices in public discussion of Canadian history, its present, and its future. To echo Chief Franklin Shining Turtle of Whitefish River First Nation, Canadians need "to open [their] eyes, [their] ears, and [their] hearts to the truth of the Indigenous experience in this country. See his full Canada Day statement, which was sent to 200 Members of Parliament, below:
July 1st, Canada Day, is a day reserved for the recognition and celebration of the birth of the nation known as Canada. On this day, friends and families typically gather and the happy sounds of laughter and celebration ring out.
July 1,st 2021, however, is different from years past. On May 27, 2021, the news broke that the remains of 215 Indigenous children were located on the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. As shock, horror, and grief spread across the country, the voices of residential school Survivors and their families rose above the rest — search the grounds of all the schools, there are more. As graves continue to be located across the country, the weight of this knowledge sits heavy in the hearts of many. These children represent lost generations of Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Mothers, Fathers, Aunts, Uncles, Land Defenders, Water Keepers.
Qwul'sih'yah'maht (Robina Anne Thomas) Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Welcome to the next post in our series that celebrates Indigenous professionals with careers in STEAM! SVS is committed to supporting Indigenous youth who are pursuing careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, math, and the arts, architecture and agriculture - all areas that Indigenous peoples have been innovators in for thousands of years, as described by IndigeSTEAM. We support through our scholarship program (with Indspire as well as others), but also through the mentorship and inspiration of our staff members.
Biologist & Terrestrial Ecologist
"Growing up as a member of Caldwell First Nation, a healthy respect for the natural world was always a focal point of the education I received from the community. This respect and love for the natural world was a key motivation for the years of school and work that would follow."
Here are some opportunities to check out:
The 2021 Application intake period for the Energy Support Programs is now open. These programs will be open for intake until 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 6, 2021. Please see the program web pages for all program documents.
Programs open for Application:
"Through our Green Jobs in Green Spaces Program, Project Learning Tree Canada can provide a 50% wage-subsidy to support sustainability-focused youth employment in the forest and conservation sectors.
MENDM has funding available for Indigenous communities to hire a mineral development advisor for a period of three years (with maximum funding of up to $130,000 per year), to assist in the regulatory consultation process. Applications are accepted on an on-going basis.
The Ontario government is investing over $12.8 million to immediately expand and enhance culturally appropriate mental health and addictions services for Indigenous peoples, families and communities across the province. This funding is part of the $176 million being invested in the government's mental health and addictions plan, Roadmap to Wellness. The plan is delivering high-quality care and building a modern, connected and comprehensive mental health and addictions system.
The funding programs of the IESO promote broad equitable participation in Ontario’s energy sector by supporting community capacity building, including energy planning and renewable energy project development, as well as the building of energy knowledge and awareness, and skills related to energy projects. The programs aim to build this capacity to support community energy planning and projects.
The 2021 Application intake period for the Energy Support Programs is now open. These programs will be open for intake until 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 6, 2021. Please see the program web pages for all program documents.
The MTO has released a discussion paper to inform the development of a long-term transportation plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The paper proposes a 30-year vision for mobility in the region. The discussion paper is being released in order to seek feedback to inform the development of a long-term transportation plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The comment period is open from June 29, 2021 - August 28, 2021.
We would like to congratulate RoseAnne Archibald, a member of Taykwa Tagamou Nation, on being elected as the first female national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Read more"Today is a victory and you can tell all the women in your life that the glass ceiling has been broken. I thank all of the women who punched that ceiling before me and made a crack."
Check out our collection of informative eBooks that are available for free download:
First Nations are reporting that, even in the midst of a pandemic that has many band offices closed, resource development proponents continue to send referrals to move projects forward. We have ideas on how to support. Get in touch.
Luke Ridgway is a regulatory consultant with a background in fisheries science, aquatic environmental risk assessment, ecological restoration, and geographic information science. He has prepared and reviewed environmental assessments for shoreline, aquatic, and agricultural development projects across Ontario. His work on fish ecology and habitat use has contributed to academic publications and technical reports. Luke has experience designing and implementing baseline surveys and ecological restoration plans for candidate sites across diverse ecosystem types, including intertidal and coastal wetlands, former agricultural lands, and post-industrial sites.
Luke holds a Master of Science in Ecological Restoration from Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Geographic Information Science from the University of Western Ontario. For his graduate research, Luke studied the outcomes of restoration efforts on former agricultural sites to better understand the success and limitations of landscape-scale ecological restoration. He is passionate about local food systems and understanding how sustainable resource use contributes to community independence and prosperity.
From coast to coast to coast, our team at Shared Value Solutions is busy working with our First Nations, Métis and Inuit clients - and we are looking to fill the following position:
In the spirit of reconciliation and diversity, we are committed to increasing our number of Indigenous employees. Please let us know in your application if you are First Nations, Métis or Inuit. And please let us know if you speak: French, Cree, Ojibway, Oji-Cree, Innu, or other languages that might be useful for this position! Please share these posts widely with your networks.
SVS's Reconciliation Circle was born out of our commitment to the TRC Calls to Action. As a company, Call to Action #92 is a place we can directly put our efforts. We see it as a place we can influence the culture and operations within our company and hopefully influence other companies with our examples. We are a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous professionals who have seen and learned much on our journeys – and acknowledge we have so much more to learn and to know.
Starting this month, we are sharing what we are learning about the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports, as well as other actions we and others are taking to promote reconciliation.
Here are links to our first three posts in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (#TrcTuesday) series:
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We are a Canadian B Corp, and we assist Indigenous Nations with support throughout regulatory processes surrounding major development projects like mines, hydroelectric facilities, transmission lines, highway expansions, oil and gas pipelines, natural resource transport applications and nuclear power.
We have deep context and experience behind the recommendations we provide, having worked for our clients on almost every major project in Canada over the last 10 years. For us, it’s all about building long-term relationships with our clients. We want to get to know you and what you want to do so we can help you move your plans forward.
Core Services: