Lori Sterling was at law school when the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force in 1982 and it profoundly affected her thinking on fostering human rights. After completing graduate studies at Cambridge University, she went to work in a place she believed a lawyer would get a steady diet of constitutional law – the Ontario public service. Shortly after the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs was created in 2007, she switched from lawyer, often dealing with Aboriginal issues, to Deputy Minister to further that work. Sterling spoke with CGE about the new Ministry and its effect on Aboriginal people.
What are some of the challenges you faced when creating a new ministry?
Our first tasks involved setting the appropriate cultural tone and developing a plan of action. I would like to think this is a ministry that fosters diversity and inclusion, especially for Aboriginal employees. The primary feature of our culture is to be client-service oriented toward both the internal public service and external Aboriginal partners.
In our day-to-day work, we are somewhat unique in that most of our work involves partnering with other ministries. We are a “horizontal” ministry that is constantly working across the entire Ontario government. One important measure of our success is how well we influence the rest of government. For example, we worked with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry to ensure appropriate consultation before the passage of the new Mining Act. We worked with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure on the Green Energy legislation to ensure Aboriginal communities and business could participate in this new opportunity. It is not just large-scale policy reform that interests us but also everyday access to government services. We recently partnered with the Ministry of Government Services to facilitate birth registration for children from remote First Nations communities.
How are you improving conditions for Aboriginal people?
Our work is based on three pillars that are ultimately aimed at reconciliation with Aboriginal people: developing relationships, improving socio-economic conditions and settling land claims. Within each of these pillars, we have a series of specific deliverables over the mandate of this government.
The first pillar led to the creation of several Relationship Tables for productive dialogue with Aboriginal leaders. We have a provincial First Nations leadership table, provincial territorial tables and a Métis Nation table. We are also taking the lead on educating the Ontario Public Service as there is a real appetite for greater understanding of Aboriginal issues, including more knowledge about the legal obligation to consult with Aboriginal people.
Improving our relationships also involves working with other provinces and territories, national Aboriginal organizations and the federal government. Ontario is now the chair of a newly revitalized cross-Canada process. For the first time in four years, all the parties met in Toronto on October 29. Everyone agreed that education should be the initial focus of our efforts including improved graduation rates and skills training for the economy of the future.
The second pillar is dedicated to improving social and economic conditions. The ministry obtained approval for a First Nations casino gaming initiative that culminated in a 25-year deal that provides $3 billion to First Nations communities. We have implemented many of the recommendations of the Ipperwash Inquiry including the creation of a New Relationship Fund to increase the capacity of Aboriginal communities to engage in consultation, work with business and create jobs. We are also working on an Economic Development Framework that includes a summit with First Nations in January 2010.
Finally, under the ministry’s third pillar, we are clearing up our land claims backlog and speeding up the resolution of land claims now being negotiated. We also announced this year an interim agreement on the transfer of Ipperwash Park to the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, a key outcome recommended by the Linden Inquiry into the events at Ipperwash Park.
Is there one project that is symbolic of the ministry’s work?
We have a project designed to promote life skills in Aboriginal youth. In this initiative, we are seeking to improve recreational opportunities for youth and in particular, the ability to play hockey, a very popular sport in First Nations communities. Ministry staff were able create a partnership among governments, private business, First Nations and the charitable sector. We have partnered with an international charitable service organization, Right to Play, which has extensive experience with youth sport programs. We have also worked with First Nations to benefit from the federal-provincial stimulus fund to create eight new hockey arenas in the North. We are joined by other ministries such as the Ministry of Health Promotion, who also have recreation programs. Finally, we are in discussion with large private foundations and businesses to ensure funding for continued programming and the operation and maintenance of the arenas. This program, which we’re working hard to finalize, is, for me, emblematic of what can happen when our Ministry brings all the right partners together.
