A Métis entrepreneur told the co-hosts of Episode 283 of Speaking Municipally that the authors of the Downtown Investment Plan did not adequately engage with Indigenous organizations.
Shani Gwin, CEO of pipikwan pêhtâkwan and Edmonton Downtown Business Association board member, said she was disappointed by the new Downtown Investment Plan. The plan was co-authored by Alex Hryciw, chair of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition, and Jason Syvixay, vice-president of strategy and operations for BILD Edmonton Metro, who joined Episode 281 of Speaking Municipally to outline the nearly $500 million in funding requests within it to the municipal, provincial, and federal governments.
"It's very tough to look at that plan and see the logos of a lot of big players in the downtown and not see one Indigenous organization or order of government," Gwin said.
The plan mentions Indigenous people twice — at the beginning in a land acknowledgment and near the end when it calls for an Indigenous-led economic development and investment strategy for downtown to receive $50 million over multiple years. "That element of the plan, the $50 million, I just question, where did that come from? Like, did it come from another plan that engaged Indigenous people? Who did it come from? Because it's not clear to me in the plan," Gwin said.
Gwin added that she continues to be troubled by the Downtown Revitalization Coalition's messaging, which she said focuses on public safety, "boots on the ground," and discussion of crime.
She said she doesn't feel unsafe downtown. "There might be a couple (of) interactions where someone just starts screaming at me or something like that, but I don't feel unsafe because, I don't know, those people look like a lot of my family members or people that I've grown up around or interacted with," Gwin said. "I have an understanding of addiction and a lot of the reasons why those folks might be there ... I know there's been a rise in crime and other things (downtown), but I do sort of feel there is something about targeting Indigenous houseless people in the downtown core from that group of people, and it does upset me."
Gwin said because she is but one Indigenous voice, she can't speak on behalf of all Indigenous groups about how the plan could be improved. But, she said, the authors should have consulted with a variety of Indigenous people, groups, and orders of government to get more diverse ideas for revitalizing downtown.
The Nov. 1 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast has more about the plan's shortcomings, and about Gwin's pipikwan pêhtâkwan company being chosen out of more than 2,200 international applicants as one of 30 finalists to receive $10,000 from MIT Solve. Listeners also get an update from Taproot's newsroom by managing editor Tim Querengesser. Find all the ways to listen and subscribe to Speaking Municipally, which comes out most Fridays, right here.