OTC speakers bureau member Lyndon J. Linklater hosted the Reconciliation Saskatoon Pathfinder: Finding Your Way to Economic Reconciliation event held virtually on Sept. 22.

The event was designed to help professionals understand Economic Reconciliation.

"We want to foster a community of support," said Carrie Catherine, with Reconciliation Saskatoon, about why they are bringing together people on economic reconciliation.

Speakers talked about why engaging in the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action 92 (which speaks to business) is important.

"Know that if you don’t engage in TRC 92 it’s going to affect your bottom line," says John Desjarlais Jr., general manager of Great Plains Contracting

"For me economic reconciliation is putting your money where your values are.”

He says that it's more than doing reconciliation because it's what's right, it's about engaging in reconciliation because it's good for business.

“Economic reconciliation is not a zero-sum game, it’s not giving up something, it’s not some wins some loses, everyone wins something,” he said.

“It’s what’s fair, what’s just and it’s an economic necessity.”

More than 60 people came out to learn during the three-hour virtual event.

During the event Nick Wright shared about his reconciliation journey, and how it took a lot of listening and learning before he found the way his company EngComp could have an impact in Economic Reconciliation. Aubrey-Anne Laliberte-Pewapsconias, a business student at the University of Saskatchewan, spoke powerfully about what business will need to do to attract young Indigenous talent. Lacey Unrau shared the story of Des Nedhe Group of Companies, how they invest in local people, and how business needs to challenge themselves to go the extra mile.