Upcoming Advocacy Events

To stay informed about upcoming advocacy events, please remember to check back regularly.

Past Advocacy Events

2024

Environment Justice

On June 13, 2023, Bill S-5, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act became law. This bill is an amendment to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to, among other things, recognize that every individual in Canada has the right to a healthy environment.

The federal government has two years to create an implementation framework in consultation with Indigenous Peoples. IPAC is coordinating three projects with the goal of collecting as many voices as possible. These projects are funded by a grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Bill S-5 IPAC Member Survey
In March, IPAC Members received an invitation to complete the IPAC Bill S-5 Member Survey on March 4. This survey was created by one of our Indigenous student members, with the goal of ensuring that all IPAC members had the opportunity to give their input. Data from this survey has been complied into a slide deck available here.

Bill S-5 Elder Gathering
April 12, we gathered with seven Elders from coast to coast to coast in Vancouver, B.C. We listened and learned from our Elders, ensuring their voices were included in our report on Bill S-5, the amendment to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). We look forward to sharing what we learned. Videos are available here.

Bill S-5 Virtual Member Roundtables
April 24 and 25, IPAC hosted two virtual roundtables for all IPAC members. We envisioned a healthy dialogue where members could share their thoughts, ideas, and questions about Bill S-5 and CEPA. You can find the “What We Heard” report summarizing the discussions here.

Learn more about CEPA and Bill S-5
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act-registry/right-to-healthy-environment.html

2021

Culture is Medicine – A Social and Creative Workshop with Artist Sabian Rawcliffe.
On Thursday, April 29, 2021 IPAC Members joined Michael “Sabian” Rawcliffe to created medicine bundles and connect over Zoom, shaking off the stress of the pandemic and honouring the need for creativity, joy, and wellness.

Anti-Indigenous Racism

Anti-Indigenous Racism in Healthcare – A Canadian Perspective During COVID-19
Tuesday, May 4, 2021: Systemic Anti-Indigenous racism, the Opioid Crisis, and COVID-19 had Indigenous doctors in Canada working around the clock. We saw both tragedy and promise. IPAC President, Dr. Nel Wieman; Chair of the National Consortium on Indigenous Medical Education, Dr. Marcia Anderson; and Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Public Health, Dr. Evan Adams, as they shared an overview of what happened in Canada, and how Indigenous physicians and organizations made positive change. Q & A followed the panel discussion.

COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccine Myths
Thursday October 28, 2021: An opportunity for Indigenous people across Canada to ask questions about COVID-19 Vaccines. Invite your friends, family, community members and patients. This is a safe space for vaccine hesitant people to ask questions. Indigenous Doctors on the panel include: Drs Daniele Behn Smith, Lisa Richardson, Marcia Anderson, and Evan Adams.