Canada Day is a time for celebration and reflection. While we have much to celebrate this Canada Day, we still have far to go to achieve a truly representative and equitable university, province and country.
We have seen progress over the past year — at UBC, we have begun to work on the 54 comprehensive recommendations of the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence as well as on the National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism and the Scarborough Charter on anti-Black racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education.
We continue to take steps on the road to reconciliation as well, as a university, as a province, and as a country. The federal government has passed United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) legislation and action planning, co-developed with Indigenous peoples, is actively underway. Provincially, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan has been completed and is now underway. Tahltan Nation and the province recently completed a consent-based decision making agreement.
However or whether you celebrate Canada Day, I wish you all the best for a wonderful summer.
Santa J. Ono
President and Vice-Chancellor