THUNDER BAY -- In recognition the city sits on the traditional Fort William First Nation territory, the First Nation’s flag will permanently fly outside of Thunder Bay City Hall.
City Council voted unanimously to support the move Monday and a ceremony will be held to raise the flag on May 2.
Fort William First Nation Chief Peter Collins said he appreciated the gesture as a symbol of the symbiotic relationships between his community and the city.
“It’s a great honour to have our flag flown there so that everybody coming into the region also knows it’s not only the city of Thunder Bay. It’s Fort William First Nation,” he said.
Collins sees burgeoning relationships in business and social sectors between Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation that he wants to strengthen. From homelessness and addiction to economic development, he encouraged both communities to stand together.
“I think we need to build our relationship stronger as we move forward,” he said.
“We have to move past the racial stuff that happens in our communities and get over those things that build a strong community together – build our economies together, build our healthy lifestyles together. It takes all of us to build a healthy community and it’s a step in the right direction.”
During council's discussion on the issue, Coun. Rebecca Johnson expressed hope the First Nation would reciprocate the gesture and fly Thunder Bay's flag outside of its office. Collins committed to bringing the issue before his council.
"We'll show some kind of partnership initiative here, whether it be the flag flown in Fort William or something else we can do to recognize the city and the contribution we make."
