Grande Prairie City Hall (Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP staff)

By Shaun Penner

City Hall

Creation of Indigenous Liaison position being explored at City Hall

Sep 29, 2020 | 5:07 PM

Administration at Grande Prairie City Hall has been tasked with developing a job description for a role that would act as an Indigenous liaison between City administration and Indigenous organizations in the community.

A request to create such a position was made during Tuesday’s standing committee meetings, where Len Auger from the Community Advisory Board on Housing and Homelessness (CABH), who also serves as the Vice President of the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre, presented on behalf of the CABH. Auger told committee the CABH sees the position as needed to help improve communication and relationships between City Hall and the Indigenous community.

“Every opportunity to increase more inclusivity of Indigenous people needs to be respectful and mutual,” Auger told the Protective and Social Services Committee. “We believe this role will be beneficial to all parties and one step towards the reconciliation efforts to better our community and Indigenous relationships.”

Following the presentation, Grande Prairie Mayor Bill Given said he and Council are very interested in exploring the possibility of adding such a position to the City’s staff.

“I’m really hopeful that we will be able to scope out a job that provides value to the City, in terms of increasing our cultural competency and awareness,” said Given. “But also, my hope would be that the position adds value to the broader community in advancing reconciliation through our municipal government.”

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One of the caveats in developing the job description will be to utilize input from various community stakeholders, especially the Indigenous community. Given says it’s vital that the development of this position be stakeholder led, not Council led.

“This needs to be developed in a way that is not the City telling the community how we are going to engage with them, and I think that really needs to be a foundational element.”

Auger added in his presentation to committee that he believes adding this position to the City’s roster could be viewed as a proactive step towards reconciliation, and possibly help get out ahead of any community conversation about social issues, like racism or implicit bias.

“These issues are surfacing in other communities. We can be, and (can) do better by working together to develop and maintain a respectful, honest, trustful, positive and mutual relationship.”

Given echoes that sentiment, and says he and Council are “resoundingly” in favour of exploring the creation of this position

“I believe that symbolic steps are important parts of reconciliation, but they also need to be backed up by concrete action,” said Given. “I think the City of Grande Prairie has taken a number of symbolic steps and will continue to do so to help build our relations with the Indigenous people of Grande Prairie, and Indigenous communities around us.

“But I think maybe it’s time to also consider some concrete action, and the establishment of this position could be one of those concrete actions.”

The drafted job description and scope of the position will be brought back before the Protective and Social Services Committee at a later date.