Reconcili-Action:Restoring Indigenous Presence to Canadian Communities is the latest in a speaker series designed to start a conversation about truth and reconciliation. The series, hosted by Prince Edward County Libraries, began in November with a talk given by Dr. Niigan Sinclair.

With the re-installation of the controversial Sir John A. Macdonald statue, Holding Court, in front of the Picton Public Library, the hope is to continue public conversations about Macdonald’s past within the broader context of colonialism.

The upcoming lecture will feature Sarah Midanik, Kateri Lucier-Laboucan and Calvin Brook.

Midanik is the President and CEO of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF), a national charity that seeks to improve the relationship between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Canadians.

Midanik’s passion and focus revolves around the restoration of Indigenous presence in Canadian places and spaces, previously working as the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Place Making Council. Currently, she supports Indigenous place-making with the DWF Legacy Spaces Program.

Lucier-Laboucan is a status member of the Little Red River Cree Nation in Northern Alberta. Her focus revolves around improving housing conditions within Indigenous communities and asserting Indigenous presence through place-making. Her key experience includes the design for the Awen’ Indigenous Gathering Place in Collingwood, the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health at the University of Toronto and the Indigenous Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Toronto.

Brooks is an architect, urban designer and planner/co-founder of Brook McIlroy, an architecture, urban design, landscape architecture and urban planning practice.

A key focus of Brook’s practice is collaborations with the firm’s Indigenous architects and interns through the Indigenous Design Studio. Brook McIlroy is the first architectural and planning practice in Canada certified under Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business’ (CCAB) Progressive Aboriginal Relations Program.

Lucier-Laboucan and Brook will present some recent projects that aim too restore Indigenous presence within communities with the broader intention of addressing truth and reconciliation.

The event will be held Saturday, January 25^th from 2-4 p.m. at the Picton Public Library. Tickets are free. To register and reserve a spot, please see: https://www.peclibrary.org/events/reconcili-action-restoring-indigenous-presence-to-canadian-communities-picton/