Listening Session in Surrey, BC - January 12, 2023

On January 12, 2023 an In-Person Listening Session for the National Strategy was held in Surrey, BC. The session was hosted in collaboration with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (ISPARC) – the Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body for BC, as part of their annual Regional Engagement Meetings.

During the session, we had the opportunity to hear from nearly 25 participants inclusive of Indigenous community members local to the area, representatives from BC-based sport, physical activity, recreation and traditional practices organizations, and representatives from other Indigenous organizations with an interest in sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices who were interested in sharing their thoughts and experiences to serve as input into the National Strategy.

There was a significant focus on the need for capacity-building within communities to enable the sustainability and quality of programming for Indigenous participants to access. It was also noted that the National Strategy would need tangible actions and initiatives that could be implemented by “on-the-ground” sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices leaders, as well as clearly defined accountabilities.

We would like to thank all those who participated in the Listening Session – your feedback and input is greatly appreciated and valued as it will help to inform the National Strategy. We would also like to thank ISPARC for recognizing the importance of the National Strategy and adding it as an agenda item to their Regional Engagement Meetings to ensure local voices are heard.

If you would like to learn more about the National Strategy and/or share your voice, please visit our website: https://indigenousinmotion.ca/