City of Yellowknife’s Reconciliation Roadmap sets out how the City can strengthen relationships with Indigenous governments, organizations, and community members, and how Reconciliation will be reflected in City decision-making, services, and community life.
Reconciliation is not a single project or moment in time. It is ongoing work that requires listening, accountability, and partnership. This Roadmap is intended to guide the City’s actions now and into the future, while remaining flexible and responsive to Indigenous voices and lived experience.
Supporting the Work
To support this work, the City engaged Tanya Tourangeau, a Dene Reconciliation Strategist with long-standing connections to the Northwest Territories and experience working with the City through previous initiatives. Tanya is supporting the City in reviewing past efforts, shaping future direction, and ensuring the work is grounded in respect, relationship, and accountability.
The Approach
Phase 1
- Assessed the City’s existing Reconciliation-related practices, commitments, and frameworks
- Resulted in a draft ten-year Reconciliation Roadmap, reflecting where the City has been and outlining a potential path forward
Phase 2
- Focused on engagement. Indigenous governments, regional partners, City staff, and residents were invited to respond to the draft, share priorities, and provide guidance on how the City can lead Reconciliation in practice
- The purpose of this phase was not to start from scratch, but to test, refine, and align around a shared path forward, ensuring the Roadmap is informed by lived experience, rights, and community priorities
Public Engagement
The City of Yellowknife designed multiple ways for people to share input on Walking Forward Together, recognizing that meaningful engagement looks different for everyone. Engagement activities included:
- An internal staff survey
- External surveys open to community members
- One-on-one outreach with Indigenous governments, organizations, leadership, and key partners
These efforts were intended to gather diverse perspectives, ensure accessibility, and create opportunities for meaningful participation.
How is input used?
Public engagement for Walking Forward Together aligns with the “Involve” level of the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation.
At this level, the City actively seeks input from Indigenous governments, organizations, partners, and residents, ensuring their perspectives directly inform decisions. Input from surveys, consultations, and outreach is carefully considered and reflected in the final Reconciliation Roadmap. This approach ensures that the Roadmap is grounded in respect, accountability, and meaningful participation.
What We Heard
Phase 2 engagement confirmed strong support for the draft Reconciliation Roadmap across residents, staff, Indigenous governments, and partners. The consistent message was clear: the foundation is in place, and the City should now focus on turning shared priorities into practical action.
View the full engagement report below.
What’s next?
Next, the City will use these insights to finalize the Roadmap and prepare for coordinated implementation, ensuring progress is visible, accountable, and grounded in everyday municipal practice.