How Do I Get Started?

This page is intended to help navigate our website to find the resources you need.

Know the document or resource you’re looking for? Simply enter key terms into the “Search” bar. Otherwise, you can browse our database by category.

Please note that this resource database is still being built and updated. It is by no means a comprehensive list of all publicly available resources pertaining to the work done by Shared Path.

If you notice a particularly important resource is not included in this database, please email admin@sharedpath.ca

For planners initiating contact and seeking to build connections with Indigenous peoples:

Settler governments have struck treaties with Indigenous peoples since the 1700s. These treaties often contain information about how each signatory may or may not access and govern land. Take some time to learn about treaties in your region, which nations they involve, how they may affect the planning process, and governance structures here.

Supreme Court cases have led to the creation of a Duty to Consult and Accommodate when projects may impact Aboriginal rights or title, established under the constitution and treaty law. The Crown, either federal or provincial bodies, may delegate this duty to proponents, tribunals or municipalities. To learn more about the Duty to Consult and Accommodate, how it has been shaped law, and practical applications of the duty, view this conversation between Shared Path Vice Chair of the Board and experienced archaeologist Ron Williamson and top legal minds on Aboriginal and environmental law, Renée Pelletier and Adam Chamberlain.

Please note that not all treaties are settled. Some may be subject to land claim disputes due to numerous factors, and this could potentially impact development processes. The provincial government has a running list of land claims and what stage they are at, found here.

For background information on individual First Nations situated within Ontario, click here. A three-part webinar series on how to work effectively and meaningfully with Indigenous peoples is available here. For information on existing partnerships and guidelines on relationship development between First Nations and other public and private bodies, click here.

Traditional Indigenous or Environmental Knowledge (frequently shortened to TEK or IK) is being used specifically in environmental planning with increasing frequency. This knowledge stems from Indigenous relationships with the environment built over millennia and informs many Indigenous governance systems and legal orders. Learn more here.

Finally, Calls to Action under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission implore government staff and Canadians at large to learn about the history of colonialism and its implications. To read the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Commission of Canada click here. To read the Yellowhead Institute’s status update on Canada’s response to the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action as of December 2020 click here. To read about how the planning profession can strengthen its institutional frameworks so the practice of professional planning more effectively acknowledges and supports Indigenous planning approaches and perspectives click here.

For Indigenous communities navigating the Ontario planning system:

To learn about the basics of the land use planning process, the legislation, regulation and policy that guides it click here. To find Official Plans that apply to your region and your neighbouring municipalities, search for them here.

The most recent Planning Policy Statement (PPS), the umbrella policy that guides land use planning in Ontario, has strengthened its language around planners’ roles in consulting with and working with Indigenous communities. View the most recent PPS here.

To learn about how other communities are building relationships with municipalities and proponents, including examples of existing agreements and shared projects, click here.