Mayor asks city to continue reconciliation efforts

City council's executive policy committee has voted to further Winnipeg's reconciliation efforts in one of two motions walked on to the committee by Mayor Brian Bowman.

The committee voted Wednesday to endorse an "Indigenous accord" that further cements Winnipeg's relationship with Ojibwa, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dene, Dakota, Inuit and Métis communities in Manitoba and commits the city to work toward reconciliation between its Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents.

"It's essentially a framework for ongoing dialogue," Bowman said. "Where it really becomes more relevant and easy to explain is when you have the annual reporting."

The motion calls for the city to produce a report every June that outlines the city's progress toward reconciliation. Bowman declared 2016 the year of reconciliation in Winnipeg and vowed after it ended to continue efforts to promote reconciliation.

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The mayor also walked on a motion to have city staff review the practice of awarding sole-sourced contracts. Bowman said this was partly as a result of concerns raised by Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt about the city's decision to sole-source a bike safety study.

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Walk-on motions are pieces of legislation that do not appear on committee agendas ahead of time and thus do not allow prior scrutiny.