To support Indigenous communities and organizations navigate the funding landscape.  In addition to discussing specific funding programs, IAFNER staff will also provide updates on broader policy initiatives pertaining to Economic Reconciliation in First Nations communities.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Program Overview: Understand the structure, goals, and impact of the Indigenous Economic Development Fund and other funding opportunities available though the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation (IAFNER) as well as broader policy initiatives aimed at advancing Indigenous Economic Reconciliation including the Indigenous Procurement Program.  The agenda will also include ample time for feedback and input on existing and future opportunities.
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• Eligibility & Application: Receive tips on how to apply to various IAFNER funding programs, tools for tracking funding opportunities available to Indigenous communities. Provide feedback on how IAFNER programs and funding processes can be better tailored to meet the unique needs, priorities, and strengths of Indigenous communities.
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• Support & Resources: Access to IAFNER staff readily available to answer any and all questions during the presentation and remain in touch after the fact. Overview of all resources available to FN EDOs from the Province of Ontario, including application deadlines, TPON support, and managing multiple sources of funding for a single project.

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Join Sarah Gauthier, Clarice Dale and Assis Bal for an informative and practical session designed to support Indigenous communities and organizations navigate the funding landscape.  In addition to discussing specific funding programs, IAFNER staff will also provide updates on broader policy initiatives pertaining to Economic Reconciliation in First Nations communities.

This session will include opportunities to provide feedback on how IAFNER programs and funding processes can be better tailored to meet the unique needs, priorities, and strengths of Indigenous communities.

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Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO) is the province’s first and only dedicated Indigenous tourism organization that focuses on uniting communities, Indigenous organizations and industry leaders to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Ontario. Through product development and marketing of authentic Indigenous experiences, ITO establishes a platform for Indigenous cultural expression and preservation through tourism.

BIO

Scott Mercs is Special projects Consultant and Marketing Lead for Indigenous Tourism Ontario. Scott has worked and travelled across Canada, and has been with ITO for four years. Prior to that, Scott was Economic Development Officer for Hiawatha First Nation, Hotel and Resort Manager for the Kwakiutl and Gwasala Nakwax’da First Nations, and a Hotel Manager for Inns North, an Arctic Hotel Chain in Nunavut with 100% Inuit ownership.Scott will talk about ITO’s Northern Ontario Indigenous Tourism Corridor Strategy, and summarize the research, planning and execution of our Strategy. ITO visited 24 Indigenous communities in the Georgian Bay, Lake Huron and Lake Superior region this past summer, and consulted countless stakeholders and business owners, to provide the basis for the creation of 3-5 Indigenous Tourism visitor itineraries for this beautiful region.

The City of Toronto’s Purchasing and Materials Management Division (PMMD) will provide an overview of how to do business with the City and an update on the co-development of the City’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis Procurement Policy.

More information is available at www.toronto.ca/indigenousprocurement.

Abby is a proud member of Six Nations of the Grand River, where she continues to reside with her children.  

She holds a Juris Doctor from the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University and will be called to the bar early next year. During law school, she served as President of the Indigenous Law Students’ Association and as an advisor on the Indigenous Legal Education Committee.

Her policy experience includes work with the Survivors’ Secretariat at Six Nations, where she developed the Family Information Policy to support families seeking information about loved ones connected to the Mohawk Institute Residential School. She also contributed to the University of Windsor’s Indigenous Strategic Plan, developing the Kinship and Relationship Policy, and later served as Indigenous Justice Coordinator at the Scarborough Community Legal Clinic, creating policies to support Indigenous clients navigating legal systems.

In her current role as Policy Development Officer with the City of Toronto, Abby leads the co-development of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Procurement Policy. Her work is grounded in community guidance, listening, and ensuring Indigenous voices shape the City’s reconciliation and procurement practices.

Isaac Iserhoff-Rosen is Ojibwe Cree and an off-reserve member of Constance Lake First Nation, born and raised in Toronto. He recently graduated from Western University with a BSc (Honors Specialization in Kinesiology). Isaac has previous experience working in volunteer, laboratory, health care, and addictions recovery settings, and now works as an Indigenous Youth Research Associate with the City of Toronto, contributing to the co-development of a First Nations, Inuit and Métis Procurement Policy.

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