The CVTIEP encourages municipalities to promote Indigenous presence along Treaty and territorial lands for the benefit of cultural reclamation and public education.
Susan and partners were able to secure funding and resources to develop the Indigenous Experience Plan, as part of the Credit Valley Trail initiative. The work was informed through Archaeological reports, guided by Traditional Knowledge keepers and supported by municipal partners.
Led through Indigenous planning and leadership, the CVTIEP identifies ways to reclaim Indigenous culture in public places along the Credit River via Credit Valley Trail. Over 20 representatives from First Nations, Metis and Indigenous communities participated in the initiative.
As the Principal Planner, collaborator and author of the final report, Susan presented the planning approach and results to the Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee at the Ontario Board of Trade, in February 2018.
People Plan Community developed an Indigenous Experience Plan for the Credit Valley Trail — an initiative integrating Indigenous storytelling, ecological insight, and place-based education into the trail route. Through collaborative facilitation and planning support, the project established a framework for interpreting the trail through Indigenous knowledge and relationship to the land, enriching visitor experience and regional identity.
Focus: Integrating Indigenous knowledge into trail and land-use planning to enhance environmental and cultural understanding.