Tuesday, June 21st marks National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. It’s a time for Canadians to celebrate Indigenous Peoples and communities across the country – their history, cultures, and contributions to our society.
In the last year, the discovery of the remains of 215 children in Kamloops, BC; 751 unmarked graves in Cowessess, SK, and more unmarked graves across the country brought the history of residential schools to the forefront of conversations across Canada. While initiatives like the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, released in 2015, have sparked some change, there is still a long way to go on the path to reconciliation and we’re committed to continuing on this journey.
As celebrations take place across Canada to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, Canada’s Building Trades Unions are continuing to work to build a better country alongside our Indigenous members, leaders, and affiliates.
Canada’s Building Trades Unions continue to commit to doing our part to ensure Indigenous Peoples have equal access to opportunities in the skilled trades. Programs like Path Forward; the Labrador Office for Indigenous and Northern Skilled Trades; Alberta’s Trade Winds to Success; Indigenous Awareness Training; are aimed at making the skilled trades more accessible to Indigenous Peoples and we recommit, to working harder each and every day to make our organizations, job sites and Canada more inclusive for all.
-Sean Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions
About CBTU
Canada’s Building Trades Unions are an alliance of 14 international unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries that collectively represent over 600,000 skilled trades workers in Canada. Each year, our unions and our signatory contractor partners invest over $300 million in private sector money to fund and operate over 175 apprenticeship training and education facilities across Canada that produce the safest, most highly trained and productive skilled craft workers found anywhere in the world. Canada’s Building Trades Unions represent members who work in more than 60 different trades and occupations, and generate six per cent of Canada’s GDP. For more information, go to www.buildingtrades.ca.
Kate Walsh 613-298-0652 kwalsh@buildingtrades.ca
