Metro Vancouver was actively involved on National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The Squamish Nation’s Spakwus Slolem (Eagle Song Dancers) performed traditional drumming, songs and dances at Metro Vancouver’s head office in the morning, while later in the day, several Metro Vancouver staff hosted a booth at Trout Lake in Vancouver, as part of the largest National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations in British Columbia.
Staff handed out information on regional initiatives, conducted surveys, and fielded questions about the Metro Vancouver organization, its membership and its services. The Metro Vancouver water wagon was also on hand with attendants informing passersby, educating groups of students, and providing tap water.
At the same time, at the Musqueam community in the south-west corner of Vancouver, Regional Parks’ west area staff, at the invitation of the First Nation, set up a booth and shared information on various projects, collaborative initiatives, and park ecology with hundreds of Musqueam members and invited guests enjoying a community celebration.
These are small but important examples of Metro Vancouver’s involvement in reconciliation activities with Indigenous Peoples across the region.