Senior federal managers are being told to complete an 86-hour certification course on Canada’s colonial past, with taxpayers covering travel and related costs, according to a Treasury Board memo.Blacklock's Reporter says the November 27 directive outlines a mandatory, three-phase program aimed at immersing executives in what officials describe as a “structured journey” through Canada’s colonial history, dialogue with indigenous people, and workplace projects tied to reconciliation.“The three-phased program guides executives through a structured journey that provides historical reflection, meaningful dialogue with indigenous people and real world project implementation,” said the memo, titled Reconciliation in practice program for executives. It said completion would equip participants to “take concrete steps to advance reconciliation” and “drive lasting change” inside government departments.Executives must complete all three phases to receive certification. The total time commitment includes 36 hours of instruction plus an additional 30 to 50 hours of self-directed project work spread over as much as a year. .While the memo does not list a dollar figure, it states that “all travel costs and related expenses are to be covered.”Treasury Board documents describe the first phase as an instructor-led virtual course called Reflecting on Canada’s colonial history, consisting of two three-hour sessions. The second phase, Building meaningful relationships with indigenous peoples, is an in-person course held over four consecutive days, typically beginning about a month later. The final phase requires participants to complete a self-directed project over 12 months.The program is delivered by the Canada School of Public Service in Ottawa and was finalized on September 18.The certification requirement flows from cabinet’s 2019 Framework for history and commemoration, which frames colonialism, patriarchy, and racism as enduring structures that must be confronted through “truth-telling and reconciliation.”.Ottawa has already taken steps aligned with that framework, including removing historic plaques from the Langevin Block, which houses the Prime Minister’s Office and was named after Hector-Louis Langevin, a Confederation-era superintendent of Indian Affairs. Cabinet has also expressed discomfort with the John A. Macdonald Building, a meeting hall across from Parliament.“It was uncomfortable,” said Heritage Minister Marc Miller in 2021, citing Macdonald’s role in establishing the residential school system.
