YMCA Of Eastern Ontario Statement on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2024

September 30, 2024, marks the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, which coincides with Orange Shirt Day.

This day honours the thousands of Indigenous children who were lost to the residential school system, as well as Survivors and their communities.

On this day, the YMCA of Eastern Ontario reaffirms our solidarity with Indigenous communities, reflecting on our ongoing responsibility to participate in Truth and Reconciliation. We know that the journey towards Truth and Reconciliation is a long one and that there will be moments of fatigue. However, we remain committed to doing more to partner with Indigenous communities on activities that work toward reconciliation, including providing more programming through collaboration with community members.

The YMCA of Eastern Ontario is committed to continuing our reconciliation and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work. An EDI expert was engaged to develop and conduct internal surveys of our employees to set a benchmark of how employees feel about EDI within our organization. From these results and with continued engagement from experts a training plan was developed and rolled out across the association. We continue to seek and offer opportunities for staff and volunteers to share and learn.

In June of 2024 we launched our Hearthstone Housing Pilot project in partnership with CaraCo Development Corporation, the City of Kingston and Tipi Moza - an urban First Nation, Metis and Inuit housing provider, developed under the CMHC Urban Native Housing Program. CaraCo is providing a rental discount for four new units, the City of Kingston, is partially off-setting rental costs through its rent supplement program, and tenants will cover the balance of the rent through social programs. Tipi-Moza is the referring agency, through the partnership we will ensure that supports are delivered in a culturally sensitive way.

As part of our reconciliation efforts in 2024, YMCAs across Canada raised $24,030 for the Orange Shirt Society through the sale of YMCA orange shirts, bringing our grand total over the past four years to $162,352.80. Additionally, YMCA Canada will be hosting a two-part national webinar series for staff across the country in October, fostering opportunities for learning and reflection.

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the YMCA of Eastern Ontario calls on all non-Indigenous individuals and organizations to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities, including our own leadership, staff, volunteers, and members. The work of reconciliation requires ongoing reflection and action from settler-led institutions and individuals, not just today but every day.