Gill McLaren, Oakville Community Foundation
I’m Gill McLaren, I live in Oakville on Treaty 14. I am teaching myself about planting and caring for my home in a way that respects the land that I live on and am curious about how I can do these things in a better way.

I am a wife, daughter, sister and partner to my husband Chris. I am excited to bring my partner Chris and 16-year-old daughter Charlotte to come and celebrate our Treaties together.

My brothers and I are first-generation Canadian and all of my extended family live overseas. As such I value community and building friendships with other mothers and their families, it is these relationships that I rely on when I need support. I place importance on relationships, I believe that being genuine, open and a good listener allows me space to begin to understand, respect and care for others. This is why I want to thank, connect with and celebrate the Treaties with the community members that did the work to ensure that my community of friends and family have an Oakville to Celebrate.

Sydney Clark, Our Forte Events
My name is Sydney Clark and I was born and raised in Oakville but currently reside in Barrie with my husband and our two young sons. I work part-time as an event planner and am also a Paralegal, but my true passion is being a mom which is why I’m very excited to welcome our third baby this July!

Last summer we had our marriage ceremony at my family cottage in Honey Harbour where we asked our minister to begin with acknowledging the land, learning we were standing on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.

I enjoy getting outside and experiencing nature, especially with my children. We often attend community family walks that are led by the Empower Simcoe Indigenous Coordinator, Angelia. We are given the opportunity to smudge, sing songs about Mother Earth, and are offered a pinch of tobacco that we are encouraged to place at a special tree during our walk. I feel fortunate that my kids will grow up having access to a more diverse truth of historical information than I was taught at their age. 

I am very honoured and excited to be part of the first annual Celebration of Treaty Allyship event on March 4 and on behalf of Our Forte, thank you for inviting us in to learn and gain more knowledge about the MCFN and the Treaties.