Timmins introduces program to train city staff about Indigenous history

The city of Timmins is introducing a training program to educate city staff about the history of Indigenous people.

The program follows recommendations from the Ontario Human Rights Commission to address institutional racism toward Indigenous people in Timmins.

"This is actually over two years in the making," said Timmins Ward 5 councillor and chair of the Timmins Indigenous Advisory Committee, Kristin Murray. "Even prior to my time as a councillor, there were discussions. The human rights commissioner came to the city of Timmins. That's no surprise to anybody. She was very vocal about her comments and feedback with relation to the city of Timmins."

The 2018 deaths of Joey Knapaysweet and Agnes Sutherland spurred the Ontario Human Rights Commission to investigate the treatment of Indigenous people in Timmins.

Both Knapaysweet and Sutherland traveled to Timmins from Fort Albany First Nation, more than 400 km away, to access health services that were not available in their community.

Knapaysweet was shot by Timmins police after fleeing the Timmins hospital emergency room on Feb. 3, 2018. The officers were subsequently cleared by the province's Special Investigations Unit.

The next day, on Feb. 4, 2018, Agnes Sutherland died in hospital after being arrested and jailed following a disturbance at a Timmins shelter.

"When I visited Timmins in the weeks after Joey Knapaysweet's and Agnes Sutherland's deaths, many people I spoke to linked their deaths to systemic racism and unequal access to essential services," said Renu Mandhane, chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, in February 2020. "The deaths of two vulnerable people who came to Timmins seeking help should be an impetus for concrete action to advance human rights and reconciliation."

Murray said the city is investing around $35,000 to train its employees. 

Bob Joseph, the author of 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act, developed the online training program, which goes over the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Murray added the recent unmarked graves of children discovered at residential schools across Canada highlight the importance of the training. 

"I think it's really relevant to know that this is a history that has  to be shared," she said.

In addition to training to ensure services are delivered in a culturally competent manner, the Ontario Human Rights Commission recommended the city of Timmins do the following:

• Engage with Indigenous communities to understand their concerns and needs.
• Develop a human resources plan to promote and expand the hiring and promotion of Indigenous staff.
• Collect human rights-based data to identify problems and monitor solutions.