City Permanently Adds Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Flag to Council Chamber

This morning, the City of Mississauga’s Council Chamber saw the permanent addition of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) flag. The MCFN flag now sits alongside four government flags, including the Canadian national flag, the Ontario provincial flag, the Peel regional flag and the Mississauga municipal flag.

A short ceremony was held during the first regularly scheduled meeting of the new term of City Council. MCFN Councillor Kelly LaForme joined the ceremony to commemorate the occasion and, together with members of City Council, raised the flag in its new, permanent place in Council Chamber.

“Today’s ceremony was incredibly significant in recognizing the role The Mississaugas of the Credit have played on the lands which now make up the City of Mississauga. The MCFN flag, now permanently stationed alongside our government flags in Council Chambers, will serve as an important reminder of the role Indigenous people have had in shaping our community, our city and our country,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “It was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to reconciliation and strengthening our already strong relationship with The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.”

The City of Mississauga has put added focus on furthering a relationship with the MCFN and our urban Indigenous community and is actively working towards reconciliation by confronting its past and present. Some examples of this include:

• Upholding space for Indigenous peoples as agreed in the Treaties
• Recognizing and upholding their Treaty Rights
• Meeting its obligations in their nation to nation relationship
• Supporting all Indigenous Peoples

Background

The City has taken a number of actions to ensure that all residents, businesses and partners who choose to live, work and learn in Mississauga have the same, equitable experience. These include:

• Endorsement of a new policy focused on the Use of Indigenous Images/Themes in City Sports Facilities. The policy promotes a positive and inclusive experience at City sports facilities, while supporting a climate of understanding and mutual respect.
• Approval of the recommendations found in the City’s Annual Reconciliation Report and Land Acknowledgement Renewal, which included refreshing the City’s existing Indigenous Land Statement, formally adopted in 2017.
• Adoption of Resolution 0207-2020 to address systemic discrimination and inequities within Mississauga, including accessibility to resources, services and supports for Black and Indigenous residents.
• Permanently adding the Every Child Matters flag to the grounds of Mississauga Celebration Square, making Mississauga the first city in Canada to raise the Every Child Matters flag.
• Recognizing National Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation as two of the City’s annual official events.

SOURCE City of Mississauga