Ottawa, Ontario

The NIEDB held its final meeting of the year at the ADAAWE Indigenous Business Hub in Ottawa, Ontario. 

The Board was honoured to meet with Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty and Indigenous Services, Deputy Minister Gina Wilson. Board members shared with the Ministers their perspectives surrounding Additions to Reserve policy reform, infrastructure in the Arctic, Bill S-2 and ongoing issues with the government’s Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Information System (ATRIS).  

The Board also received updates from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. 

The Board met with the President of the Métis National Council (MNC) who presented findings from the MNC’s Status of the Métis Economy Report. The Board also met with the President of the Canadian Council of Indigenous Business (CCIB) and the CEO of NACCA and learned about both organizations’ recent work and upcoming priorities. 

Members of the Indigenous Council for Wah-ila-toos presented to the Board about the Council’s mandate to support Indigenous communities transition to clean energy. The Board also engaged in a discussion on Indigenous inclusion and data sovereignty in digital innovation and met with entrepreneurs from the Wejbâbanda Indigenous Business Incubator at ADAAWE, a co-working and community hub for Indigenous entrepreneurs, creators and business owners in the National Capital Region.