Indigenize Downtown: City of St. John’s and First Light to Host Community Feast

White background with text "Indigenize Downtown Community Feast, Thursday, March 21, 2024, 42 Bannerman St" with two photos of food

The City of St. John’s and First Light are partnering to host a Community Feast on Thursday, March 21, 2024 to collect ideas and feedback from the urban Indigenous community that will help inform the creation of a new Downtown Neighbourhood Plan.

The Downtown Neighbourhood Plan will create a community focused, land-use plan to guide development of the downtown core in the future, define opportunities for growth, protect and enhance cultural and historic assets, and identify opportunities for economic development and community connections. This event will support the City’s broader public engagement plan which has been carried out over the last year to inform the plan. This is the final public consultation event in development of the downtown plan.

“In its 2020 Declaration in Support of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, St. John’s City Council made a commitment to work in partnership with the urban Indigenous community to decolonize public spaces,” said Stacey Howse, Executive Director of First Light. “The creation of a new Downtown Neighbourhood Plan is an opportunity for us to bring the community and our allies together to identify specific, actionable things that the City can do to ensure that the new Plan delivers on that commitment.”

This Community Feast, focused on the theme Indigenize Downtown, is a step toward realizing the 42 Calls for Change put forward by First Voice Urban Indigenous Coalition in February 2023. Input gathered at the discussion-based event will help shape implementation of several Calls for Change that fall directly within the City’s jurisdiction.

“It is crucial that we listen, learn, and take action alongside our partners to help advance the Calls for Change put forward through First Voice,” said Mayor Danny Breen. “We are proud to partner with First Light for this event to demonstrate our shared commitment to advancing systemic change on urban Indigenous issues here in St. John's.”

The event will take place at the First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity located at 42 Bannerman Street, St. John’s from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A meal prepared by Inuk chef Justin Igloliorte will be served. There is no cost to participate. As capacity is limited, those who wish to participate are invited to register in advance by visiting firstlightnl.ca/indigenizedowntown.

For those interested in providing feedback but are unable to attend, there is an online survey that can be completed. The survey will remain active until Friday, March 29, 2024.

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