Ogimaa (Chief) Stacey LaForme recently announced his retirement from his role as Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN). Ogimaa Laforme was elected to MCFN Council in 1999 and has represented and advocated for his community for over twenty years.
“On behalf of Halton Regional Council I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Ogimaa Laforme for his instrumental leadership and support to the Region,” said Gary Carr, Halton’s Regional Chair. “Halton Region extends gratitude for his unwavering commitment to MCFN and to building and fostering meaningful relationships on a foundation of collaboration, mutual respect and friendship. We wish Ogimaa all the best in his well-deserved retirement and welcome Chief Claire Sault and the newly elected MCFN Council. We look forward to continuing to work together to build a collaborative relationship and advancing our shared work. Chi-miigwetch.”
As a highly respected Indigenous voice and leader throughout Halton, the province and country, Ogimaa has worked tirelessly to help foster and build relationships at all levels of government including with Halton Region. On June 20, 2022, Halton Region and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, under the leadership of Ogimaa Laforme, signed a Relationship Agreement formalizing ongoing work to build a constructive, collaborative and mutually respectful relationship.
The Relationship Agreement has been instrumental in supporting meaningful and collaborative discussions as well as helping to identify areas of mutual interest and priority while providing a platform to advance the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Ogimaa is also an esteemed storyteller and author and has provided valuable training, capacity building and cultural awareness to the community and Halton Region staff. This includes leadership on the Region’s COVID-19 Indigenous Elder Advisory Committee and support in recognizing Indigenous dates of significance. Ogimaa’s teachings have been an important form of knowledge exchange that has helped to increase cultural understanding as part of the Regions’ relationship building journey.
To learn more about the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Council (external link), please visit mncfn.ca (external link). To learn more about Halton Region’s efforts to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous People and Communities, please visit halton.ca.
The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 637,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and infrastructure planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; heritage programs; emergency management and economic development. For more information, call 311 or visit Halton Region’s website at halton.ca.