Honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Today marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour the children who never returned home, the Survivors of residential schools, and their families and communities. Public commemoration of this tragic history and recognition of its ongoing impacts are vital parts of reconciliation.

At Quinn+Partners, we pause today to reflect on our own learning journey and share some of the actions we have taken in the last year to advance reconciliation.

Our Responsibility

We recognize the responsibility outlined in Call to Action 92 of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report, which urges the corporate sector to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and integrate its principles into corporate policies and operations. This includes committing to meaningful consultation, equitable economic opportunities and providing education on Indigenous history, rights and law.

To that end, we continue to take practical steps to learn and act in ways that advance reconciliation.

Over the past year, our team has worked to better understand Indigenous rights, histories, cultures and perspectives, advanced opportunities for Indigenous students and committed to advance towards reconciliation.

Our Learning Journey

This year we expanded our ongoing Indigenous and reconciliation training program with four new modules from the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada online course. The modules deepen our understanding of contemporary Indigenous identities, political activism, urban experiences, advocacy and resurgence. We also hosted a session to deepen our understanding of the history and present-day context of the lands on which we live and work, and to reflect on how we approach land acknowledgements. Through structured learning, team discussions and reflection, we continue to build shared knowledge and strengthen our appreciation for Indigenous histories, rights and perspectives.

Advancing Opportunities for Indigenous Students

Q+P was honoured to present the Alphonsine Lafond and Q+P Award for Indigenous Women in Sustainable Business to its first recipient at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. This annual award supports First Nations, Inuit and Métis women in the Bachelor of Commerce program who demonstrate interest in environmentally and/or socially responsible business practices.

The award is in memory of Chief Alphonsine Lafond (1926 – 2000) of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, a trailblazer whose leadership broke barriers in her community and beyond. Elected as Chief in 1960, she was one of only eight women Chiefs in Canada and the second woman Chief in Saskatchewan. She went on to become the first First Nations woman appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1975, the first Indigenous person elected as a provincial school board trustee representing a First Nation community and a Senator in the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in 1992. Through this award, we hope to honour her legacy and support the next generation of Indigenous women leaders in sustainable business.

We hope to continue collaborating with partners to support the meaningful participation and leadership of Indigenous Peoples in sustainable businesses.

The Road Ahead

Our reconciliation journey continues. This year, we set Q+P’s next three-year strategy, which includes a commitment to advancing Indigenous reconciliation. Next month, we will formally launch the action plan development process with an Indigenous-led working session to identify meaningful actions we can take.