Sarnia council members will consider a list of 20 recommendations to strengthen partnerships and work toward implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) at a municipal level.
The UNDRIP Working Group was established in 2018.
Consultants with Cambium Indigenous Professional Services (CIPS) developed a final report with recommendations, which were reviewed and amended by the local group in November 2025.
City/County Councillor Brian White, who's been a member of the UNDRIP Working Group since its establishment, said the recommendations are part of a long-term goal that would take a staggered approach.
"I'm extremely confident that what we're bringing back to council is truly reflective of what could help us move forward in a very good and positive way to continue to build great relationships with our urban Indigenous partners as well as our First Nations communities," White said.
White said based on ongoing discussions, a lingering concern has been the continued communication and understanding of what the relationship between the city and First Nation communities truly means.
"I think our leaders have done a great job with communicating with each other, in terms of our mayor and chief of Aamjiwnaang, for example. But there are some pretty significant opportunities I think that we are missing by not having this fulsome discussion long-term," White said. "We could be addressing labour shortages, we could be building economic partnerships that are respectful and provide great opportunities for everybody in our region. Ultimately, I think it really comes down to consistent regular communication and an opportunity to provide that feedback loop between all of our councils and community members."
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said he's proud of the relationships built upon.
"Just like any relationship, you can improve it," Bradley said. "I'm not opposed to looking at all the things that are on the table, but they do need to be prioritized, and we have to look at how practical they are to implement."
Bradley noted that some of the recommendations, such as integrating Indigenous history into civic education, wouldn't necessarily fall under the city's scope.
"I would recommend to council that they send this to staff to review, to look at the practical, look at the long-term, the short-term, and then come back to either this council or the new council so that they have an action plan for the next four years," said Bradley.
If the recommendations are approved, the UNDRIP Working Group will begin looking at an implementation strategy for each item and will return to council for final approval.
Other recommendations include: publishing a city-endorsed statement of acknowledged history, establishing a Mayor’s Indigenous Advisory Council, appointing an Indigenous relations officer, exploring Indigenous-led housing partnerships, and installing treaty recognition signage and artworks.
The full report to council can be found by clicking here.
Sarnia City Council will meet at 1 p.m. in council chambers.
