Land Acknowledgement
Ontario is home to many diverse Indigenous peoples. It sits on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, the Mississaugas, the Mohawks, the Huron-Wendat, the Cree, the Algonquins and many other First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. We acknowledge that Ontario is the site of many broken treaties and covenants. As we launch the Ontario Community Changemakers program, we remind ourselves to respect and nurture our relationship to this land as well as to its First Peoples past, present and future.
We are investing in emerging leaders living in Ontario with community-driven solutions that support social inclusion and civic engagement in public spaces because we believe they are an integral part of creating the healthy and equitable communities Ontario needs.
Many communities call this land their home. According to the 2016 census, 374,395 Indigenous peoples live in Ontario, constituting 2.8% of the province’s population. 3,885,585 Ontarians identify as a visible minority. Of these, 63.5% were born outside Canada.
The goal of the Ontario Community Changemakers program is to provide more opportunities for Ontarians to get involved and take a leadership role in their communities. We are striving to create a launchpad for civic leaders and placemakers that reflects the diversity of people and geography of this province. We strongly encourage applications from BIPOC applicants and individuals with lived experiences currently underrepresented in the placemaking sector.
We are accepting applications from residents from communities of all sizes, including rural communities, small towns, cities, and First Nations territories.