Dear editor,

I hung my head in shame as I saw four members of the Town of Comox council, during their May 1 meeting, vote against providing the K鈥櫭砿oks First Nation (KFN) with a piddly $2,500 in support of National Indigenous People鈥檚 Day scheduled for June 21, an event which all people in the Valley are welcome to attend.

While other jurisdictions in the Valley have supported People鈥檚 Day 2024 with monetary contributions, four councillors from the Town of Comox stood against the request. One of those who voted against it mentioned how council is not a funding organization, while another worried about asking too much of Comox residents during tax season.

While both of these comments were enough to make me blush, the most shameful of all was a council member who smugly lectured the KFN that seeking in-kind donations 鈥済oes much further to foster relationships than writing a cheque.鈥�

While there are many ways to foster relationships, Comox council is sending an especially un-relationship-like message to our Indigenous hosts and neighbours, especially in light of its recently crafted strategic plan in which reconciliation is one of four lenses that councillors agreed should guide decision-making.

Pat Carl, Comox

Editor鈥檚 note: on May 15, Comox council revisited the request from KFN and reversed its decision, voting 100 per cent in favour of the funding. Pat Carl submitted this letter on May 12, prior to that meeting. Due to space constraints in the Record, the letter did not make the May 15 edition and was automatically deferred to the May 22 edition.