Economic development partnership moves ahead
Bridgenorth workshop boosts First Nations economic development
BRIDGENORTH — A partnership between local municipalities and First Nations to boost economic development moved forward Thursday with a workshop that culminated with a symbolic gesture representing each party’s commitment to the process.
Representatives from Kawarthas Economic Development, Selwyn and Otonabee-South Monaghan townships, Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations and Peterborough County placed items in a “commitment bundle.”
The symbols identify each party as contributors to the effort, which saw participants create a draft friendship accord during the First Nation-Municipal Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI) event at the Bridgenorth Community Hall.
“These are the partners that are helping this initiative move forward,” Jeff Loucks of Hiawatha First Nation said before a group photo.
Each representative placed a tobacco tie and one item of their choosing in the container; commemorative pins, badges, an Indigenous drum, a local history book and a copy of Treaty 20 were among the choices.
The agreement aims to capture the spirit of how the group plans to work together to protect land, air and water over the next seven generations and will now go before the respective councils of each partner for review.
The program is a partnership between the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO).
It offers five or six workshops over three years led by a CEDI team and aims to establish sustainable and resilient relationships between elected officials, land management and economic development personnel and the community.
The groups connect, learn more about each other and create a shared vision and formally commit to it through a relationship agreement.
They then work together with a goal of developing joint, longterm land use and economic development plans and initiatives.
Earlier in the day, workshop participants developed a presentation for municipal and First Nation councils on the history of Treaty 20 and engaged elders and youth from Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
Engaging youth and the community and providing education about the treaty were priorities identified by the group when it met in May.
That was the second time it met with all of its current partners; Otonabee-South Monaghan and the county joined the partnership after initial consultations last November identified that they would bring significant benefit.
Future workshops will focus on economic development, planning and consultation and regional tourism said Joshua Regnier of the Ottawa-based federation. He anticipates the final version of the friendship accord could be finalized within six months.
The national program is all about relationship building, said retiring Selwyn Township Mayor Mary Smith, who was joined by mayor-elect Andy Mitchell.
“It’s a progressive process where you build on the past and continue to find new opportunities,” she said. “We want to make a stronger economy that will benefit present and future generations.”
The partnership was one of 80 successful applicants to the CEDI program in the summer of 2016.