OPPI'S STATEMENT ON KAMLOOPS RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) and its members honour and mourn the 215 Indigenous children who died at the Kamloops Residential School. This heartbreaking discovery is a sobering reminder that the many injustices inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples are not a historical memory, but one component of an ongoing practice of systemic discrimination against Indigenous Peoples – which must end.
 
As we enter the month of June, which Canada observes as National Indigenous History Month, we encourage our members and the public to seek learning opportunities to better understand the truths of the land we call Canada. These truths must be understood before honest, meaningful reconciliation can take place.
 
Last year, OPPI’s Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Program Guide was amended to recommend that members prioritize “knowledge and understanding of Indigenous perspectives, worldviews, histories, cultures, belief systems and the system of constitutionally protected Treaties.” For several years, OPPI has continued to add new content exploring these areas to its Planning Exchange Blog, Y Magazine, and Digital Learning platform.
  
For more information, a selection of videos has been provided below: