Queen’s Park, Ontario’s legislative building, has been smoke-free for a long time.
And while that made sure that the workplace for politicians and civil servants wasn’t clouded by cigarettes and cigars, it also didn’t allow for important smudging ceremonies. That is, until now.
Last week two rooms at Queen’s Park, called Gathering Rooms, were outfitted with special a ventilation system for smudging.
It’s a significant step and positive change for Aboriginal people who work in the legislative buildings in Toronto. It’s also a significant and positive change for visiting Indigenous leaders who come to speak to politicians about important issues affecting their people.
"It's important when you're bringing in First Nations leaders and aboriginals into the institution for dialogue, into an urban environment, to have this room," Shelley Charles, Humber College’s Elder, told the CBC.
Read more about the new Gathering Rooms, via CBC News, here.
Header image via: ontla.on.ca
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