Truth and Reconciliation

As a sports league that is run by its players, Ottawa Valley Roller Derby is uniquely positioned to action elements of calls #89 and #90 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s ‘Calls to Action’. These calls to action are specifically aimed at promoting and fostering Indigenous athleticism and wellness through sport.
OVRD leadership is working on actioning parts of these calls to action by seeking to alleviate barriers and increase Indigenous participation with the long-term goal of having Indigenous members at all levels of league operations (from beginner to advanced skaters, and from committee members to coaches and the board of directors.

Our current short-term goals to improve the league’s accessibility for Indigenous adult and youth are:

• Offering to wave Roller Derby 101 fees for Indigenous skaters – 5 spaces reserved for Indigenous participant bursaries
• Continuing to be flexible about dues payments and highlighting our financial assistance program to ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation
• Working with local Indigenous community groups to ensure that our league is offering a variety of valuable programs for Indigenous people interested in skating or playing roller derby

It is our hope that OVRD will successfully enact meaningful change and continue to build a sport that Indigenous people want to be a part of and can participate in free from discrimination. We hope to make a direct impact in our local communities which are situated on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin people. We also hope that other leagues will read the TRCs Sports and Reconciliation calls to action and develop strategies to foster and promote Indigenous athleticism, wellness, and leadership in roller derby.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action