President Hammond introduced Kinew by saying “[Wab Kinew] has a lot to teach us about how we can be a part of the process of Canada’s reconciliation with the survivors of the residential school system.”

Mr. Kinew is a Canadian hip hop musician, journalist, broadcaster and university administrator, best known as a host of programming on CBC Television. Kinew was a very popular guest host of CBC Radio’s “Q” in December 2014. In 2014, he appeared as a panelist on CBC Radio’s Canada Reads, defending Joseph Boyden’s novel The Orenda. The novel won the competition.

In a riveting and engaging speech, Mr. Kinew talked about education being key to fulfilling all peoples’ individual potential in Canada.

Kinew also reviewed the legacy of residential schools in Canada and the “failed policies” inflicted by Canadian governments, past and present, on FNMI peoples. He noted we are in a transition period of greater awareness amongst Canadians about the hidden history of this country in relation to First Nation peoples. More and more Canadians are starting to ask ‘What can I do to help?’ Mr. Kinew’s answer: confront the truth and commit to working together toward reconciliation.

ETFO President Sam Hammond will open the proceedings on Monday afternoon with a review of the year’s activities including an overview of collective bargaining. On Thursday, ETFO’s president will address next steps regarding current collective bargaining. Both speeches will be live streamed at http://annualmeeting.ca/live-stream/

This year’s social justice speaker on Tuesday is well-known Aboriginal leader Wab Kinew, whose forth-coming book The Reason You Walk: A Memoir offers an insider’s view of what it means to be an educated Aboriginal living in a country that is just beginning to wake up to its aboriginal history.

ETFO represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and education professionals across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.

What: ETFO Annual Meeting
Where: Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, Metropolitan Ballroom, 1 Harbour Square, Toronto
When: August 17-20, 2015

Reporters are welcome to attend sessions. Media credentials are available at the ETFO Media Centre (Queens Quay 1). For meeting hours, daily agenda and resolutions, see www.annualmeeting.ca and click on the documents tab. Regular updates will be posted to our blog located at that website, on Twitter @ETFOnews, @ETFOmedia and #ETFOam, and Facebook (ETFOprovincialoffice).

MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Mon., Aug. 17        4:20 p.m.
                                Live streamed welcoming address by Sam Hammond, ETFO President

Tues., Aug. 18       10:45 a.m.
                                Address by Wab Kinew, Aboriginal leader, writer, urban activist

Thurs. Aug. 20      11:00 a.m.
                                Live streamed address by ETFO President

For more information, contact:

Valerie Dugale:  (416) 948-0195 (cell); vdugale@etfo.org
James Taylor:  (416) 459-1047 (cell); jtaylor@etfo.org
August 17-20: ETFO Media Centre, Queens Quay 1, Westin Harbour Castle Hotel – 416-957-7166