UFCW participates in Our Dreams Matter Too walk and letter-writing campaign

Click on the image above to see the photo gallery.

Toronto – June 15, 2017 – UFCW Canada representatives recently came together to walk and petition in support of fair and equitable services for First Nations children in Canada.

The event marked the ninth anniversary of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's public apology for the horrendous treatment of Indigenous children in Canada's residential school system, which removed thousands of Aboriginal children from their homes and subjected them to years of degradation and abuse.

For the seventh year in a row, UFCW Canada activists led a peaceful march through the streets of Toronto in support of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCFCS) Our Dreams Matter Too campaign. The walk was preceded by a letter-writing campaign calling on the federal government to provide First Nations children with equal opportunities to grow up safely at home, receive a good education, and be able to celebrate their cultures.

The UFCW-led walk is one of over 20 Our Dreams Matter Too walks held annually across Canada, with more than 1,300 participants each year.  

“Our union acknowledges the systemic wrongs that have undermined Canada’s First Nations peoples for years,” says Paul Meinema, the National President of UFCW Canada. “By raising awareness of the inequities that Indigenous children and communities face, we can work to improve the living standards of First Nations citizens and preserve Canada's diverse indigenous cultures,” he adds.

As Canada’s leading and most progressive union, UFCW Canada partners with the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCFCS) in support of true Reconciliation actions and initiatives. To learn more about UFCW Canada’s Reconciliation initiatives, including Local Union training sessions, workshops, and workplace poster campaigns, click here.