Jason Stockfish | [email protected]
Council was seemingly prepared to pass their upcoming strategic priorities during its July 5 meeting until Coun. Wendy Hall pointed out key points missing from the document.
As the discussion portion of the agenda item explains, 鈥淐ouncil鈥檚 plan sets forward a strategic and holistic approach to advancing the community鈥檚 interests.鈥�
鈥淲hen the plan is formally adopted, Council鈥檚 priorities will provide foundational guidance to municipal staff which will inform operational decisions and administrative recommendations as well as the development of the 2023 budget.鈥�
In the plan are 30 strategic priorities organized into six interrelated themes: community health, housing, relationships, environment, organizational excellence and advocacy.
Hall鈥檚 first concern was not in regards to any one priority but with the introduction to the document entitled, 鈥淢unicipality of Jasper: Strategic Priorities 2022-2026.鈥�
The paragraph she was troubled by reads as follows:
鈥淏efore the Yellowhead Highway and Icefields Parkway started transporting people from around the world into the heart of the Canadian Rockies, before our beloved mountain town had even been dubbed 鈥楯asper,鈥� this beautiful corner of the world was little more than a trading post surrounded by wilderness.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 concerned that we have a bit of missing history regarding the Mountain M茅tis and the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation,鈥� Hall said.
Hall鈥檚 notable apprehension was in regard to the paragraph鈥檚 final words about the town鈥檚 location being 鈥渓ittle more than鈥� a trading post and some wilderness.
鈥淚 know that there鈥檚 more to it, and I think it鈥檚 important to recognize that,鈥� she said.
While the document notes that the future town and national park got its name from Jasper Haws, 鈥渙ne of the post鈥檚 managers and voyageur,鈥� Hall was concerned that it failed to recognize that Haws, like other Indigenous partners, was integral to the fur trade, which this nation and this town鈥檚 economy was founded upon.
After the council meeting, Hall expanded on her points, noting that it must be acknowledged that without Indigenous people facilitating the trade with Europeans, Hudson鈥檚 Bay Company and The North West Company would cease to exist, as would the 鈥渢rading post surrounded by wilderness.鈥�
Further to her point, Haws鈥� significant role in the fur trade exemplifies the importance that generations of pre-existing social and political alliances amongst Indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast played in establishing relationships with European settlers.
This led Hall to her second point of contention with the document: relationships.
Had Indigenous peoples not shared their friendships, wisdom and vast experiences on the landscapes and waterways of what is now referred to as Canada, Europeans could not have survived the trek from the St. Lawrence to the Canadian Rockies and beyond.
When one reads of 鈥渞elationships鈥� in the municipality鈥檚 strategic priorities, there is no reference to Indigenous peoples, she noted.
鈥淚 think the last few weeks I鈥檝e had time to partake in Indigenous Peoples Day, and on the Canada Day committee, and (I鈥檝e) really come into my own about how I think about Canada, especially in Jasper, and in our relationships,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that Indigenous partners fall into any of those鈥ategories (mentioned in the document) and I think it鈥檚 important to recognize and have (them) in there because鈥e鈥檙e on the path towards reconciliation, and I think a relationship with our Indigenous partners is quite important.鈥�
Council is now set to have another session on strategic priorities to discuss the matter further before voting on the issue.
