Smithers Council agreed to have a Reconciliation Dialogue Workshop in town organised with staff and Reconciliation Canada.
The workshop will include several groups and neighbouring First Nations communities to look at how some of the 95 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission can be implemented.
Aside from the workshop, Councillor Phil Brienesse says the town is also working with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en on some of the calls to action.
“This Reconciliation Canada one is broader. It will include more members of the community and see if there’s something the community can overcome,” says Brienesse. “This is something that happened over decades and decades and there’s a lot of feelings, and a lot of hurt – it’s not something you can snap your fingers and move forward with.”
The workshop will be held in late April. Brienesse says Dr George Joseph, the head of Reconciliation Canada, will be the speaker at the workshop.
He says they still have to sort out a date and location for the closed workshop that has a maximum capacity of 40 people.