September 30th marks the 3rd annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation across Canada. What began as Orange Shirt Day in 2013 to promote awareness and education of the atrocities committed in the residential school system as part of an attempted cultural genocide.

We at the Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) recognize the need for every member of our nation to recognize, reflect and remember the lives lost, families separated, and communities destroyed by these actions. This day weighs heavily on the staff of the OVA, as an organization that works directly with youth, and that is responsible for the wellbeing of kids who are the same age of those who these crimes were committed against.

The OVA would like to acknowledge that the land we live, work and host events on has been inhabited by Indigenous communities the since the beginning, long before European settlers came to these shores. We would like to acknowledge the communities affected by the Upper Canada Treaties and the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishinaabe and the Mississaugas of the New Credit. We would also like to recognize the Haudenosaunee, Inuit, Métis, and other Indigenous groups whose traditional lands are being used to this day.

The OVA recognize the contributions and importance of the Indigenous peoples of this land we call home and are committed to The 94 Calls to Action and challenging preconceived fallacies and correcting systemic barriers to help shape our community for the future.

The OVA is committed to continuing growth through our work with Indigenous focused agencies such as, Indigenous Sport and Wellness Ontario and have participated in Volleyball Canada’s DEI project in 2022 focusing on long term diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy as well as cooperating with the Office of the Sport Integrity Commission (OSIC) to assess our sport environment to unearth our shortcomings.

We would like to thank our members for their continued efforts in making the OVA an inclusive and supportive environment for all athletes. If you wish to reach out to the OVA about a matter concerning inclusivity, please contact our Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee. This committee is made up of members of the community who have experience and expertise with equity and inclusion. They are always available to help ongoing issues and discuss new initiatives to better serve our community members.