Peter Dinsdale, President & CEO of YMCA Canada recently joined BMO’s Kayla Jacobs on the Sustainability Leaders podcast for the latest episode in its Indigenous Reconciliation Series, speaking candidly about what reconciliation looks like in practice at the Y.
Peter draws on decades of experience in this work, from Friendship Centres to the Assembly of First Nations to his seat on the inaugural National Council for Reconciliation. And that history carries directly into the YMCA’s work today: efforts exploring building YMCAs on reserves, a national statement on reconciliation unanimously approved in 2018, and the Kananaskis Gathering held earlier this year to learn about and strengthen our Indigenous programs.
That work has been ongoing for a while… but I’m really excited about the journey that the YMCAs are on right now.
Peter talks through programs built in partnership rather than in place of Indigenous work, including Mind Medicine in BC—an Indigenous-led adaptation of Y Mind, a YMCA youth mental health program—and a Calgary-based program that teaches about drums, regalia-making, and powwows in public school settings.
It’s clear that this work is far from finished. YMCAs across Canada still have more to do to build trust, deepen partnerships, and turn intention into action across the country, and Peter sees that as an ongoing responsibility rather than a box to check.
His takeaway for listeners: reconciliation is a work in progress, not a finish line.
Listen to the full conversation below:
