A true learning opportunity - 4 Seasons of Reconciliation

By Chadd Cawson

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Truth and Reconciliation is more than one day acknowledged in September. It is continual learning and acting. Following the tragic news that swept the nation in May, 2021, when 215 bodies of children were uncovered on the site of the Kamloops Residential School, Jenna Jasek, School District 6 vice principal, Indigenous Learning and Equity, and Duncan Whittick, executive director, Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) paired up to take action in Invermere. They began by providing ‘Every Child Matters’ flags to individuals and organizations in the community.

“We wanted to do our part in Truth and Reconciliation and felt the urgency, as the 215 children from Kamloops Residential School had just been found the previous month,” said Jasek. “As we delivered flags to different

Every Child Matters pilot program launches this February organizations, we felt the need to expand our message of Truth and Reconciliation. Duncan came up with the challenge, and we worked together and brainstormed how to do this, what it would look like and why it was necessary.”

Jasek and Whittick co-founded the ‘Every Child Matters Year-long Challenge’ in October 2021, the day after Canada’s first official Truth and Reconciliation Day. From that pilot project stemmed another - the ‘Every Child Matters: 4 Seasons of Reconciliation learning opportunity which is open to educators across Turtle Island (North America). This pilot initiative is in partnership with Reconciliation Education, The First Nations University of Canada, Rocky Mountain School District and Outdoor Learning Partners.

“I piloted the 4 Seasons of Education course created in partnership with Reconciliation Education and the First Nations University last year. I thought it was a great introduction to Truth and Reconciliation. I shared the course with Duncan and my idea to incorporate it into our Every Child Matter Year-Long Challenge,” said Jasek. “We worked with Reconciliation Education and local Elders and Knowledge Holders to provide monthly modules and webinars for the participants. At the end of the course, all participants who complete the course will receive a certificate from Reconciliation Education and the First Nations University. We received feedback through the Outdoor Learning Store from our partners in other parts of Canada and the United States that there are no courses or challenges like ours, and non-Indigenous people want to learn more about Indigenous Peoples, and Truth and Reconciliation.

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P U B L I C H E A R I N G

The Village of Radium Hot Springs and its Council is considering an application to remove a piece of Village-owned proper ty from the Agricultural Land Reser ve (ALR)

The land is located at 4755 Sewer Plant Road in the Village It is the site of the Village’s sewage lagoons (built par tially within the ALR and with ALR permission in the early ‘90s) and some of the Sinclair Creek Pathway system

The parcel is 13 72 hectares total and more than half of its area is currently not within the ALR Only 6 47 of that total area is within the ALR and it is this area which may be applied for removal

Removal of the land from the ALR would facilitate construction of a regional transfer station (for garbage and recycling collection within the Village) immediately nor th of the sewage lagoons This transfer station will be relatively small when constructed, approximately 0 73 hectares

Removal of the land from the ALR would better allow the Village to manage this land, which it owns, within its boundar y for community and institutional use – consistent with the Village’s Official Community Plan

A public hearing on the issue is scheduled for Februar y 13, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. at the Village Council Chambers (4836 Radium Boulevard).

To submit any comments please phone 250-347-6455 ext 9, or email cao@radiumhotsprings ca

All correspondence received will become par t of the public record