BOMA Edmonton Statement for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

We remember the survivors of residential schools and their children and ancestors. We educate ourselves and take action.

Call 92 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report is for businesses. Learn more.

So, in addition to a territorial acknowledgment on your website or at your event, add Call 92 and take action towards realizing that call.

One thing BOMA Edmonton has done is raised the awareness of Indigenous worldviews and experiences among more than 800 commercial real estate professionals with many partners, primarily with Oteenow Employment and Training Services and Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training Services Association, co-founders of the Creating Career Pathways in Commercial Real Estate (CCPCRE) initiative.

Through CCPRE, we’ve created four 5-month internships for Indigenous people interested in transitioning to building management or operations careers. Some of these interns will go on to full-time employment. A big thank you to list companies here for supporting that program: Triovest, Cameron Development, RMS, City of Leduc, One Properties, Qualico, and Oglivie Law.

We’re also doing groundbreaking research on Indigenous Inclusion and Leadership in commercial real estate. One thing we’ve learned is that if you think Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous Engagement is a part of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, then you’re missing the point. It can be, but that’s not near enough. That approach doesn’t acknowledge the special relationship that Indigenous people have to the land upon which we operate and the special knowledge and connection we must work hard to understand and make.

Another thing we’ve done is create a trial period and then discount code for Indigenous-owned companies who become BOMA members.

We’re learning a lot. It’s a journey. It can be uncomfortable, and sometime hard. But the best things in work and life take hard work.

So, thank you if you are doing that hard work. Reach out to BOMA Edmonton anytime. We’re here to help you, our members. Please also contact us if you are interested in participating in CCPRE for your employees’ education and training, internships, and/or our research.

Special thank you to TCETSA and Oteenow, our industry partners, consultants Dr. Gabrielle Windstorm and Glinis Buffalo, funding partners AREF, and CREW Edmonton for raising awareness of the CCPCRE. Stay tuned for more.