The Community Economic Development Initiative - building friendships and economic prosperity

Transcript for the Community Economic Development Initiative - building friendships and economic prosperity

(Exterior building shot at Lang Pioneer Village)

(Sign outside of building in Lang Pioneer Village with the words Aaniin, Boozhoo, Hello, Bonjour, Ezhi-Wiijikiwendiyang, Friendship Accord)

Text on screen: 
The Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI) supports First Nations and neighbouring municipalities who want to create a shared vision for joint economic development.

(Laurie Carr signing the Friendship Accord)

(Another individual signing the Friendship Accord)

(Friendship Accord being held up and people applauding)

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In November 2019, six CEDI partners signed a historic Friendship Accord in Keene, Ontario, located near Peterborough on Treaty 20 territory.

(Audience members sitting at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

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These partners include two First Nations, two local townships, the county, and the regional economic development corporation.

(People interacting with one another at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

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Though the Friendship Accord was officially signed in early November 2019, the six partners have been meeting frequently since 2016 to build stronger relationships and discuss projects that would benefit all.

(Dani Johnson on camera speaking)

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Dani Johnson
Youth Representative, Curve Lake First Nation

Dani Johnson speaking: This day has meant rebuilding relationships,…

(People interacting with one another at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Dani Johnson on camera speaking)

Dani Johnson speaking: …friendships, working on connecting our communities together and just really the importance of it all and how meaningful it is. (Mary Smith on camera speaking)

Mary Smith speaking: To formalize it like this is such an important message to the community that we're committed…

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Mary Smith
Former Mayor of Selwyn Township

(People applauding at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Group of youth playing drums)

(Mary Smith on camera speaking)

Mary Smith speaking: …to working together into the future and I'm so happy that we're making a ceremony and a celebration out of the signing of this accord.

(Julie Kapyrka on camera speaking)

Julie Kapyrka speaking: Curve Lake First Nation is really really proud of being involved…

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Julie Kapyrka
Consultation Liaison, Curve Lake First Nation

(Map of Ontario zooming into show where Peterborough, Curve Lake First Nation, Selwyn Township, Otonabee-South Monaghan Township and Hiawatha First Nation are located in the province)

(Julie Kapyrka on camera speaking)

Julie Kapyrka speaking: … in this six partnership relationship because we have really struggled in the past to work with municipal partners and such.

(People sitting in the audience interacting with one another at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

Julie Kapryka speaking: I'm really happy to move out of the tension and battling to more of in friendship and in hand in hand and moving together.

(Ken Doherty on camera speaking)

Ken Doherty speaking: I'm a former teacher and I've always been an advocate of Piaget age stage readiness. And you have to be ready to enter into this kind of relationship.

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Ken Doherty
Past Director of Community Services, City of Peterborough
(Ken Doherty interacting and laughing with someone at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

Ken Doherty speaking: Sometimes people aren't sometimes governments aren't, but I'd like to think that, that environment is changing.

(Joe Taylor on camera speaking)

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Joe Taylor
Mayor of Otonabee-South Monaghan

Joe Taylor speaking: I was surprised at how little I actually knew with some of the history of the First Nations in our area even though we had been directly involved with Hiawatha First Nations for my whole life…

(Joe Taylor speaking at the podium at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Joe Taylor signing the Friendship Accord)

(Joe Taylor on camera speaking)

Joe Taylor speaking: …and I thought I knew a lot about it, but it became painfully evident I didn't. I had a lot to learn. The first few meetings that's what it was really about, establishing these relationships. I didn't get that at the time. I didn't really understand why that would be so important to the process. It took a while but it finally dawned on me, if we're going to sit down and have a relationship with all of the partners around the table we need to know something about each other,…

(Joe Taylor interacting with Laurie Carr at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

Joe Taylor speaking: …we need to understand why things are important to them. We need to understand what is important but even more so why is it important.

(Laurie Carr on camera speaking)

Laurie Carr speaking: Because now I reach out to Mayor Taylor when I'm having challenges and he'll help me. Because sometimes you feel like when you're in the community and in the First Nation…

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Laurie Carr
Chief of Hiawatha First Nation
(Audience members listening to speakers at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Laurie Carr interacting and embracing someone at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Laurie Carr on camera speaking)

Laurie Carr speaking: …sometimes you feel like you're alone in those pieces, but to know that even your neighbouring township, not just another First Nation but your neighbouring township is there to help you and support you and those pieces mean a lot to myself and to our community.

(Ken Doherty sitting in the audience at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(MC speaking at the podium at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Audience members sitting at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Audience members applauding at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Slow pan of an image of the Friendship Accord)

(Ken Doherty on camera speaking)

Ken Doherty speaking: I hope that at the end of the day what's happened with this Friendship Accord will be seen as a model for all of the townships in the county, for the city of Peterborough and for neighbouring municipalities. This is where we need to get to.

(Joe Taylor on camera speaking)

Joe Taylor speaking: I see that from this process a number of improved relationships have evolved.

(Joe Taylor speaking at podium at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Audience members listening to speakers)

Joe Taylor speaking: There's several very concrete examples of that, one is in the local planning decisions.

(Joe Taylor on camera speaking)

Joe Taylor speaking: We now involve First Nations members to the county and the township planning, applications and decisions and seek their input. And we should have been doing that all along. Better late than never.

(Ashley Evansknot speaking at the podium at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Audience members listening to a speaker at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Audience members applauding at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)
(Mary Smith shaking hands with someone at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Joe Taylor on camera speaking)

Joe Taylor speaking: And I certainly see it as laying a path for the future. If we can continue in this spirit of cooperation and understanding and mutual respect it will bode us well in decisions that will need to be made in the future.

(Mary Smith on camera speaking)

Mary Smith speaking: Already our working together has been positive for our communities and the broader community needs to know about that. And if we can help other communities in Canada to do the same thing…

(Mary Smith interacting with someone at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Mary Smith speaking at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

Mary Smith speaking: …then that's great because in terms of municipal responsibility and I was the Mayor of the township of Selwyn, we have a responsibility to go through this kind of process with our neighbouring First Nations.

(Dani Johnson on camera speaking)

Dani Johnson speaking: I'm very confident that there's going to be so much positive outcome from this Friendship Accord.

(Dani Johnson speaking at the podium at the Friendship Accord Signing Ceremony)

(Dani Johnson signing the Friendship Accord)

(Dani Johnson on camera speaking)

Dani Johnson speaking: It's more of a relief for us as youth because we're happy and we're involved and we're inspired to continue building on this and continue building relationships. So, it's more of a relief that we know it's in good hands,…

(Someone holding up the signed Friendship Accord and audience members applauding)

Dani Johnson speaking: …that we're going to continue supporting this meaningful accord.

(Slow pan of signed Friendship Accord)

(Julie Kapyrka on camera speaking)

Julie Kapyrka speaking: I also am very proud that, I think we are going to be a model in the future for other municipalities. So, I'm extremely proud to be part of this group that may be leading the way…

(Slow pan out of Mary Smith looking at the camera and smiling)

(Slow pan out of Dani Johnson looking at the camera and smiling)(Slow pan out of Laurie Carr looking at the camera and smiling)

(Slow pan out of Ashley Evansknot looking at the camera and smiling)

(Slow pan out of Ken Doherty looking at the camera and smiling)

(Slow pan out of Julie Kapyrka looking at the camera and smiling)

Julie Kapryka speaking: …and may be providing a model for other municipalities and First Nations to emulate.

Text on screen:
The signing of the Friendship Accord was held in partnership with the Cando (Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as part of the Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI).

The program was funded by Indigenous Services Canada.

For more information about the CEDI, please visit
www.edo.ca/cedi
www.fcm.ca/en

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2019

(Canada Wordmark)