The Working Circle Committee

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Why the Working Circle has been formed:

The Working Circle started through conversations had by senior City staff and Council on how best to achieve the Strategic Plan goals in two areas:

• Community Diversity and Inclusion
• Economic and Investment Diversity

It was quickly recognized by Council and staff that the City could not speak for Dryden’s Indigenous population and, that in order to make meaningful and lasting change, it was critical to have Indigenous and non-Indigenous people working together. 

How the Working Circle benefits Dryden:

The Working Circle will work to identify issues important to Dryden’s Indigenous communities, recommend actions the City can take to improve the experience of Indigenous people and propose ways the community can bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents. To view the full mandate of The Working Circle, click here. 

Mandate of The Working Circle:

The Working Circle has been created to recognize and enhance the relationship between the City of Dryden and our Indigenous and Métis residents. Recommendations from The Working Circle will be sent to City Council through specific actions and the City’s Strategic Planning goals.

There are really four main priorities identified in the mandate of the Working Circle. The Working Circle priorities are all under the umbrella of the City’s strategic plan, a key aspect of which is to continue to foster positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community.

The Specific Mandate of The Working Circle is as Follows:

• Identify issues important to Dryden’s Indigenous population. These would include things such as lifestyle issues, social issues, amenities Indigenous people are looking for and other issues impacting their experience living in the community, positive or negative.
• Identify actions the community could take to improve the experience of Indigenous people in Dryden.
• Identify actions or activities the community could take to bring the Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members closer together. These actions may start as small steps that lead to bigger moves over time.
• Identify opportunities for fostering positive relationships between Indigenous peoples and other community members and make recommendations to City Council to capture these opportunities.

This is the initial mandate of the Working Circle. The Working Circle will be reviewing this mandate as a group after several months and may modify it based on our experience.

Members of the Working Circle:

What the Working Circle does:

The Working Circle Committee is a subcommittee of Dryden's Master Plan Steering Committee. The Working Circle currently meets on a bi-weekly basis. Agendas are created and minutes taken. In the future, once the committee has been adopted by Council, all documents as a result of the meetings will be made public. 

What The Working Circle is Hoping to Achieve:

The Working Circle is hoping to foster positive relationships with Indigenous peoples in Dryden and neighboring communities. We want Dryden to demonstrate and be seen as an inclusive community that is welcoming to all. In terms of a timeline, The Working Circle expect to see some early and significant changes and successes that demonstrate our commitment to the goals outlined in our mandate. 

There really is no end goal whereby we say mission accomplished. Results will be measured by continued and sustained improvements in community life for Indigenous and Metis residents through employment, education, cultural celebration, leadership, entrepreneurship and most importantly the fight against racism. Our hope is the Working Circle is carried forward by future City Councils.

Working Circle Initiatives and Projects:

Municipal Land Acknowledgements

Recommendation to Rename Colonization Ave

April 26th, 2021: The City of Dryden has issued a media release regarding the adoptions of Boozhoo Avenue and Memorial Avenue, officially replacing Colonization Avenue North and South. You can download the entire release here:

City to Rename Colonization Ave. 

Boozhoo Avenue:

Replacing Colonization Ave. N, Boozhoo, an Ojibwe word meaning Welcome (Greetings, Hello), will be highly visible to those travelling along Highway 17 through Dryden. Boozhoo recognizes Dryden's indigenous population. Additionally, Boozhoo Avenue services a growing industrial and commercial development zone where there is great potential for growth. 

Memorial Avenue:

Replacing Colonization Ave. S, Memorial Avenue pays tribute to those community members who have passed and how we came together to make a historic and positive change for Dryden. This also pays tribute to first responders, police and volunteers who have dedicated their lives to providing emergency services. It also pays tribute to the Indigenous ancestors who are and were caretakers of this area, its beauty and its promise. Furthermore, Memorial recognizes the past tragedies of the residential schools and of murdered and missing Indigenous women in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation. 

The Ojibwe word for Memorial is Miwendaagoziwaat. The decision was made by the Working Circle to use the English version as the meaning is the same. 

City of Dryden Council received a presentation from Working Circle Co-Chairs Cheryl Edwards and Shayne MacKinnon on April 12th. To review the presentation, please follow the link below.

Recommended Names Presentation - April 12/2021

Please Note: All public submissions are reviewed by the Working Circle Committee. Any submissions containing inappropriate terms or phrases and/or profanity will not be considered. If you have any questions regarding your submission, please contact the Working Circle directly at WorkingCircle@dryden.ca

Results

 Lloyd Napish - August 25th, 2020 - Colonization Avenue

Lloyd Napish - January 6th, 2021 - Colonization Avenue Part 2