SLRD marks 10 years as a Regional District of Reconciliation

Pemberton, BC, Líl̓wat Nation Territory – The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is marking 10 years as a Regional District of Reconciliation in 2026. 

The SLRD Board formally declared the SLRD a Regional District of Reconciliation in September 2016, following the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report and after strengthening relationships with First Nations was identified by the Board as a strategic priority.

That declaration was, and continues to be, a public commitment to a long-term journey of listening, learning, relationship-building and action with the First Nations whose territories the SLRD operates within. That work will continue long after this 10-year milestone is marked.

Reconciliation is not simply a declaration or an item checked off a to-do list. It must be practiced, nurtured and revisited continually. As the SLRD marks 10 years as a Regional District of Reconciliation, the milestone is an opportunity to reflect on the work that has taken place, the relationships that continue to grow, and the responsibility to keep learning, working and taking action.

The 10-year milestone comes as the regional district marks one year since the SLRD Board endorsed “Truth and Reconciliation in Practice: A guide for working in a good way”. The Guide was developed with Gwen Bridge Consulting and informed by engagement with First Nations in the SLRD region, staff and elected officials.

The Guide sets out the SLRD’s vision, values, principles and commitments for building meaningful, respectful and enduring relationships with Indigenous communities. The Guide helps apply the lens of reconciliation to the day-to-day work of the SLRD, including planning, policy, communications, emergency management, governance and partnerships. 

Reconciliation is relationship-based work that requires humility, patience and sustained commitment. The Guide provides direction for how the SLRD applies that commitment to decision-making, communications and its work with First Nations.

The SLRD’s reconciliation work over the past decade has been shaped by relationship-building across the region, including participation in the Nuk̓w7ántwal̓ Regional Gathering, work to establish the Northern St’át’imc | District of Lillooet | SLRD Collaborative Leadership Table, intergovernmental collaboration, emergency management partnerships, cultural awareness and learning opportunities, planning and environmental initiatives, and ongoing staff-to-staff and government-to-government engagement.

More recently, this work has increasingly been applied through day-to-day operations and projects. Indigenous relations considerations are being integrated into planning processes, referrals and land-use discussions. Emergency management work has included ongoing collaboration and consultation with First Nations, including during the 2026 Place Glacier glacial flood outburst response and wildfire Emergency Operations Centre activations. The SLRD has also supported collaborative work related to the Catiline Creek Debris Flow Structure Project and the Pemberton Transfer Station operations agreement with Lil̓wat Construction Enterprises.

Internally, staff participate in a cross-departmental Community of Practice that meets regularly to share resources and learning, discuss projects and consider how reconciliation commitments are reflected across SLRD work. Staff have also participated in learning opportunities including Cultivating Safe Spaces, Indigenous Consultation and Engagement training, and staff and Board participated in Ethical Space training with Gwen Bridge Consulting. The SLRD has also updated its Board report template to include a dedicated Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenous Relations section, requiring staff to identify potential implications for Indigenous rights, interests and relationships, describe engagement undertaken or proposed, and consider how decisions align with the SLRD’s Indigenous Relations, Truth & Reconciliation Guide.

While each of these examples is important, the SLRD recognizes that reconciliation cannot be measured only by projects or outputs. The relationships, trust and awareness built through the work are also essential. Ten years after becoming a Regional District of Reconciliation, the SLRD continues to understand this work as long-term, relationship-based and ongoing.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, held each year on September 30, is a day of remembrance, learning and reflection. It honours the children who never came home from residential schools, survivors, families and communities, and recognizes the ongoing impacts of colonialism. This year, to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation the SLRD is supporting regional opportunities for learning, reflection and community conversation.

Author readings and moderated discussions with Julian Brave Noisecat, an Indigenous writer and descendant of the Lil̓wat Nation, are planned for Pemberton and Whistler. The events will include a reading from We Survived the Night, a moderated discussion and book signing.

In Pemberton, the evening event is planned for Tuesday, September 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8: 30 p.m., in partnership with Líl̓wat Nation, the Village of Pemberton, Pemberton & District Library and the SLRD. The Whistler event will include a panel discussion and take place on September 30 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. 

Residents are encouraged to take part where welcome, listen, learn, reflect and consider how truth and reconciliation can move beyond acknowledgement into relationship, responsibility and action.

More information about the SLRD Indigenous Relations, Truth and Reconciliation Guide and related resources is available on the SLRD’s website in the Indigenous Relations section. 

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About the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
Located in southwestern BC, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is a local government federation consisting of four member municipalities (the District of Lillooet, the District of Squamish, the Village of Pemberton and the Resort Municipality of Whistler) and four unincorporated, rural electoral areas (A, B, C, and D). Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of local, regional and sub-regional services to approximately 50,496 residents (2021 Census as certified by the Minister of Municipal Affairs).

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is found within the traditional territories of several First Nations, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), St'át'imc and Líl̓wat. Small parts of the SLRD also overlap with the traditional territories of the Stó:lō, Tsleil-Waututh, Nlaka'pamux, Tsilhqot'in, and Secwepemc Nations. While the SLRD does not provide direct services to the residents of the First Nations communities located within the region, the organization is committed to enhancing relations with the Indigenous communities and First Nations within whose territories the SLRD operates.