No One Left Behind: The Moral Test of Canada’s Prosperity
June 27, 2025•293 words
"We must ensure that the progress of one group is not purchased by the oppression of another." ~ Justice Murray Sinclair
"Poverty among Indigenous peoples is not accidental—it is the direct result of deliberate policies, colonial structures, and systemic exclusion." ~ Pam Palmater
"A society grows great when it builds pathways, not barriers, for all its children to thrive." ~ Cindy Blackstock
"A society grows great when it builds pathways, not barriers, for all its children to thrive." ~ Cindy Blackstock
"True reconciliation is not about closing a sad chapter of Canada’s past, but about opening new chapters of opportunity and equality for all." ~ Governor General Mary Simon
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." ~ Benjamin Franklin
No one wants to see Indigenous children in Canada grow up in poverty, lacking access to clean drinking water, lack of access to higher education, or pathways to meaningful, well-paying employment. No one wants to witness our indigenous Elders being overlooked, or our sick and dying deprived of proper healthcare and dignity in their final days.
We all want Canada to thrive, a strong, inclusive, and prosperous nation. But that success cannot and must not come at the expense of Indigenous Peoples. Progress built on our suffering is not true progress, it is injustice masked as achievement.
Every person in Canada, Indigenous, non-Indigenous, newcomers, permanent residents, and refugees alike, deserves protection, healthcare, educational, and job opportunity, and dignity of care. The cornerstone of a healthy Canadian society is access: access to education at all levels, to fulfilling careers with livable incomes, and to the purchasing power that brings dignity, security, and choice for a successful society.