The City of Kawartha Lakes is developing an Indigenous Reconciliation Strategy to guide how the municipality strengthens relationships with Indigenous Nations, organizations, and residents, and embeds reconciliation into everyday municipal work.

The City’s lands are situated within Treaty 20 and the 1923 Williams Treaties territories. The Williams Treaties First Nations, Alderville, Beausoleil, Curve Lake, Georgina Island, Hiawatha, Rama, and Mississaugas of Scugog Island , have longstanding and ongoing relationships with this territory. Kawartha Lakes is also home to Indigenous residents, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members whose voices are essential to shaping this work.

This strategy will build on existing City policies related to consultation, land acknowledgement, repatriation, and education, and move toward a clear, measurable plan that integrates reconciliation into governance, planning, economic development, procurement, communications, and community life.

This is the beginning of a relationship-based listening process. The Strategy will be shaped through dialogue with rights-holders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, youth, Indigenous organizations, City staff, and the broader community.

Reconciliation is not a single action. It is ongoing work grounded in respect, shared accountability, and the responsibility to uphold treaty relationships in practical, visible ways.

Fluid Consulting (Indigenous-owned, Six Nations of the Grand River) and KLB Consulting are working in partnership with City staff to design and lead this process.

The work is majority Indigenous-led and grounded in:

• Indigenous governance and Nation-to-Nation respect
• Cultural safety and trauma-informed engagement
• OCAP® and CARE data principles
• Two-Eyed Seeing approach
• Moving at the speed of trust
• Shared stewardship, with City staff participating directly in engagement so relationships remain municipal, not consultant-held

Engagement will include in-person and virtual gatherings with Williams Treaties First Nations, the Métis Nation of Ontario (Peterborough & District Wapiti Council), Indigenous residents and organizations in Kawartha Lakes, and the broader public through accessible community opportunities.

• We will engage Indigenous rights-holders, knowledge-holders, organizations, and residents connected to Kawartha Lakes and the Williams Treaties territories, including:
• Williams Treaties First Nations: Alderville, Beausoleil, Curve Lake, Georgina Island, Hiawatha, Rama, and Mississaugas of Scugog Island
• Local Indigenous organizations, Friendship Centres, and service providers connected to Kawartha Lakes
• Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, youth, and urban Indigenous residents, including 2SLGBTQIA+ community members
• Métis Nation of Ontario (Peterborough & District Wapiti Council)
• City of Kawartha Lakes Council, staff, advisory committees, and community partners

Additional partners may be invited based on guidance from Nations, Elders, and community advisors to ensure the process reflects lived realities and treaty relationships.

What is shared through this process will shape concrete municipal actions — including governance tools, training pathways, timelines, and measurable indicators the City can use to advance reconciliation in everyday practice.

This work will not replace Nation-to-Nation relationships or treaty-based responsibilities. Rather, it will strengthen municipal systems so they better reflect and uphold those relationships.

Engagement sessions will be Indigenous-led and trauma-informed. Participation will be voluntary, consent-based, and designed to create culturally safe spaces. Participants may step away at any time.

Information shared will be managed under an Indigenous-informed governance approach that respects data sovereignty, privacy, and confidentiality.