The Honoring Ceremony is held to honour those who have successfully completed the diversion program with the Community Council Program and those that contribute to the program through their dedication of healing our community through volunteer work, court support, and community engagement.
This year’s Honoring Ceremony brought many of us together for a wonderful feast, drumming, and singing. Bernice, our amazing volunteer with the Community Council started the smudge as we settled into our seats. Past participants of the CCP came up to discuss their experiences; one participant expressed his happiness towards achieving sobriety, and another mentioned their success in securing their own housing. These stories are among many that help us understand the impact that Indigenous led justice that is restorative has for our community and our people. Towards the end of the ceremony, we started to hand out our keychains and buttons to thank everyone that attended in support of the Community Council. We ended the night with many dancing to an Honour song to honour the successes of the program that has now been running for thirty-two years! The CCP is the longest running program of its kind in an urban setting.
Cassandra Fitzgibbon (She/Her)
Community Council Caseworker