Thunder Bay Public Library appoints Indigenous relations adviser

Rajpreet Sahota · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 05, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 5

The Thunder Bay Public Library has appointed Stephanie MacLaurin arsenic its caller elder advisor of Indigenous relations, a cardinal enactment relation aimed astatine advancing the library's committedness to reconciliation and the decolonization of nationalist spaces.

MacLaurin, who is Anishinaabe from Fort William First Nation and a lifelong nonmigratory of Westfort, brings much than 8 years of nonrecreational acquisition to the position. Their inheritance includes enactment successful governance, Indigenous governmental science, intelligence wellness and post-secondary education. 

In the caller role, MacLaurin volition oversee the Indigenous Services Department. They volition liaise with the Indigenous Advisory Council and different assemblage partners. Their enactment volition enactment the implementation of the library's Relationship-Building and Reconciliation Action Plan, which was developed successful 2018 with guidance from the advisory council.

The program outlines the library's commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and a broader effort to decolonize room practices and spaces. That includes providing acquisition resources, supporting Indigenous cognition preservation and reviewing room policies.

"A caller occupation isn't conscionable a caller start," says MacLaurin.

"It's the opening section of a communicative waiting to beryllium written with passion, intent and possibility. Stepping into this caller relation feels similar stepping into the beingness I've been moving towards."

MacLaurin says they were drawn to the relation by its accent connected assemblage engagement, thing they missed successful a erstwhile position.

"When I moved into my past presumption that I near for this job, I mislaid that benignant of assemblage component," they said.

"I recovered myself looking astatine a relation that was perchance all-encompassing for the interests that I person successful my beingness close now."

MacLaurin said the relation instantly clicked for them. They person already identified 3 aboriginal priorities a fewer weeks into the role: strategical readying for the Indigenous Services Department; gathering relationships with Indigenous organizations and leadership; and contributing to argumentation investigation alongside room management.

MacLaurin emphasized the value of libraries being welcoming, inclusive spaces for Indigenous assemblage members and organizations. 

"I recovered myself astatine Mary J. and Brodie a batch passim my years, sitting astatine the table, doing probe here, whether it was writing, uncovering the bid that you get wrong a library.  So I would anticipation that this is thing that Indigenous radical could acquisition present and that they're uncovering bid and comfort."

Raili Roy, manager of assemblage improvement astatine the library, said the squad is excited to invited MacLaurin.

"They stood retired arsenic an exceptional candidate," Roy said. 

"We consciousness precise fortunate to person the accidental to enactment with them. We person overmuch meaningful and rewarding enactment ahead."

MacLaurin replaces Robyn Medicine who held the relation for astir a decade. Medicine passed distant successful February. During her clip successful the role, Medicine established Indigenous Knowledge Centres crossed each branches.

"Robyn did an unthinkable occupation successful this relation and she has truthful overmuch emotion from the community," they said. 

MacLaurin isn't definite yet which programs created by Medicine volition remain. "But I truly couldn't ideate conscionable removing each of the hard enactment that she did."

MacLaurin said they're hoping to physique a spot that is grounded successful belonging, acquisition and reconciliation.