A STATEMENT FROM OHMRA
Land acknowledgement
OHMRA is a professional association serving responders across Ontario. The work we do, and the places where we gather, all take place on the traditional territories of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.
ON THIS PAGE
Where we gather
Where our members work
What we commit to
Feedback
Where we gather
Our annual Summit brings OHMRA members and partners together on specific territories. We name them here because an acknowledgement without specifics does not count as one.
2026 SUMMIT · KITCHENER
Haldimand Tract
Treaty with Six Nations, 1784
Traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral peoples. Today, home to the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Six Nations of the Grand River.
2027 SUMMIT · OAKVILLE
Treaty 14 lands
Head of the Lake Purchase, 1806
Traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, with ties to the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Wendat peoples.
Where our members work
OHMRA members live and respond on dozens of territories across Ontario and beyond. The places where responders deploy — scenes, highways, waterways, and remote communities — are all on Indigenous lands.
These include lands covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum, the Robinson-Huron and Robinson-Superior Treaties, the Williams Treaties, and Treaties 3, 5, and 9, among others.
We acknowledge the ongoing presence, governance, and leadership of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples on these lands.
What we commit to
Acknowledgement without action is insufficient. As an association serving emergency responders, OHMRA commits to:
Learning from and amplifying Indigenous-led emergency response work — on-reserve fire services, Indigenous search and rescue, and First Nations CBRNE preparedness.
Making room for Indigenous responders, trainers, and speakers in Summit programming, and prioritizing their voice in sessions that concern their communities.
Supporting responders who serve Indigenous communities with the training, connections, and resources our association can offer.
We know these are starting commitments, not an endpoint. We expect to add to this list — and be held to it — as OHMRA grows.
Feedback
If you are an Indigenous responder, a nation representative, or a member with feedback on how OHMRA can do this work better, we want to hear from you. Email info@ohmra.ca and your note will reach the board directly.