Sharing Stories, Building Connection: Opportunities to Reflect and Engage This National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Sharing water stories brings together the one water community, fostering knowledge exchange and creates an opportunity to learn and engage with the work others are doing. Water stories build connection and can spark ideas. This year on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, BCWWA’s Reconciliation Committee wants to bring water stories to the forefront. Each committee member shares a meaningful image and contribution to the work they are doing on an individual or organizational level.  

Take time to reflect and resonate with the stories shared.  

 “BCWWA’s commitment to reconciliation is reflected in the conversations we foster, the knowledge we share and the relationships we help strengthen with Indigenous and First Nations Peoples and communities. Through the work of the Reconciliation Committee, we encourage and support members across the water sector as they learn from Indigenous perspectives, deepen their understanding of water’s sacred connection to community, and explore meaningful ways to advance reconciliation within their own organizations and communities. As a member of the Committee, I am grateful to learn alongside such a dedicated group of professionals whose passion and commitment continue to inspire me. With the support of our Co-Chairs Freda Leong and Alex Bevan and so many engaged committee members, we are creating space for learning, listening and action. Reconciliation is not a destination but a journey. It shaped by each conversation, each relationship, and each step taken together toward a future of greater understanding, respect and shared responsibility.”  – Angelene Fellows, BCWWA 

 “Our part in reconciliation is to provide Indigenous children and youth exposure to what we do in the water industry. This means not just consultants, but entities like the Federal Government, Health Authorities and contractors. It takes a community to make a community project happen! – Freda Leong, Associated Engineering 

“Reconciliation shows up in our work every day, but we don’t always see it when we are focused on the technical details. Kerr Wood Leidal is asking its staff to take time away from the daily technical world and ground themselves in truth and action. This September, we’re launching a series of company-wide workshops titled: “Truth,” then “Indigenous Knowing, Being and Doing,” and “Working Together in a Good Way,” which will be delivered over the following months. We are starting with truth because we need a common understanding and to ground our work in established truths.  

“Personally, the projects I’ve learned the most from weren’t the hardest ones technically. They were the ones where I had to slow down, listen longer than felt comfortable and let the community reshape what I thought the answer was. Despite our rich history of working with Indigenous communities, I recognized that we still have plenty to learn, and this feels like a great place to start.” – Lutz Marsden, Kerr Wood Leidal

“I am grateful to work at an organization that prioritizes learning about Indigenous history, culture, and reconciliation. This year, I will be attending an in-person event where an employee who attended Canada’s last residential school will share their lived experience. I’m thankful to my Indigenous colleagues who share their experiences and knowledge to help advance reconciliation. To learn more about what Indigenous Services Canada BC Region is doing visit www.sac-isc.gc.ca to view: Journey Towards Reconciliation: Empowering Voices in the Workplace 2024 to 2025 Calendar.” – Alex Bevan, Indigenous Services Canada BC Region 

In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, BC Hydro’s Indigenous Employee Network has raised the Survivor’s Flag at offices across the province. 

The Survivors’ Flag is an expression of remembrance, meant to honour residential school Survivors and all the lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada. You can learn more about it’s meaning here: https://nctr.ca/exhibits/survivors-flag/ – Candace Cook, BC Hydro