We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Matthew Mackenzie

Matthew Mackenzie headshot

Matthew Mackenzie is the Manager of Government and Community Relations for Ontario Tech University, where he is also an active member of the Risk Management Committee. He is a government relations and strategic communications professional with a background in a variety of sectors, including industry associations, private-sector consulting, publicly traded corporations and post-secondary institutions.

Before joining Ontario Tech, he was responsible for government relations for Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd. and its subsidiary companies in Ontario and Western Canada. Prior to that, he served as the Manager of Government Relations for Enterprise Canada (national strategic communications firm) and worked for the Canadian Bankers Association.

In addition to his responsibilities at the university, Matthew serves on the Executive Committee of the Council of the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario. He is also Chair the Governance Committee of the National Science Rendezvous Board, and sits on the Township of Scugog's Economic Development Advisory Committee. He is Past President of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. He also volunteers as a coach for the Whitby Minor Lacrosse Association.