We have a responsibility to do better

Earlier this week, Joyce Echaquan, a 37-year old Atikamekw mother of seven, met a tragic end to her short life. In a moment of great need, she was met with hateful remarks and assumptions about her character. The circumstances surrounding her death, and the blatant racism she faced in her final moments, are heartbreaking and unacceptable.

Unfortunately, Joyce’s story is not uncommon, and it highlights the systemic mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples across North America, and especially in Canada. This history of mistreatment includes the forcible removal of an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children from their families to endure the well-documented horrors of residential schools. It comprises the infamous sixties scoop where around 20,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families placed with non-Indigenous families. And it continues with the minimization and indifference towards cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (#MMIWG). Today it manifests in the shape of poor infrastructure on reserves, systemic underfunding of child and family services for Indigenous peoples, and racist comments like the ones Joyce Echaquan faced in her final hours.

As individuals, businesses and society – we have a responsibility to do better.

The call for change for a just and inclusive society is as strong as ever. More are joining in the efforts to effect real change. It’s encouraging, but we know that change takes time, and systemic injustice towards Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour continues.

At Intact, we’ve made a commitment to stand up for what’s right and take concrete actions. We’re working closely with our employees and have taken steps in the right direction.  As I’ve shared before, this is a journey, not a sprint. There is more we can and will do.

This week, employees across Intact are participating in our annual Diversity and Inclusion campaign. This is a necessary platform for employees of all backgrounds to share their experiences, listen, and expand our collective knowledge. And while it’s a great opportunity to raise awareness, we recognize that dismantling systemic racism is a daily battle.

It’s up to all of us to take every opportunity to truly listen, learn, and reflect, and then decide how we can choose to be better - and do better - for each other.

Charles