Invitation to participate in engagement

The following text was mailed to all residents and property owners of Indian Road in late May 2022:

Earlier this year, the City of Kitchener began a review of the name of Indian Road, at the request of local Indigenous community members as well as a group of engaged students at Grand River Collegiate Institute. A name change would be in line with the Ontario Human Rights Commission direction to recognize the enduring impact of colonialism on Indigenous peoples and the negative impacts the discriminatory display of names and images has on individuals and groups.

As part of the review process, the City is looking to engage with all residents and business/property owners situated on Indian Road, as well as the Waterloo Region District School Board, staff and students from Grand River Collegiate Institute, and members of local Indigenous communities to inform next steps.

As a resident or business/property owner situated on Indian Road, you are invited to participate in in-person or online engagement on this project.

You can attend any of the following in-person engagement sessions:

• Saturday, June 4 - Grand River Collegiate Institute, 2-4 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 8 - Grand River Collegiate Institute, 5-7 p.m.

Each engagement session is an opportunity for you to learn more about the review process, share your ideas and feedback, and build your understanding of the importance of Indigenous Reconciliation. Drop in anytime during the hours listed above.

Transparency is a key component of this project. To ensure that all residents and business/property owners have multiple opportunities to be involved in each phase of the review and decision-making process, you are also invited to join the Indian Road Renaming project page on Engage Kitchener.

Please use this link to visit the project page: www.engagewr.ca/IndianRoad

On the project page, you will be able to learn more about the review process, complete our online survey, share personal reflections or ask questions, and receive regular updates on this project, including future engagement opportunities taking place this fall.

Following the engagement process, a report with recommendations will go to Kitchener City Council for consideration later in 2022.

To learn more about this project ahead of the scheduled in-person engagement sessions, please review the Q&A attached.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me directly.

I look forward to connecting with you during one of our upcoming engagement sessions or online.

Sincerely,

Darren Kropf

Active Transportation Project Manager, City of Kitchener