Decolonizing Community Land Trusts in Canada

This event was part of the 2026 Global Community Land Trust (CLT) Virtual Summit. Explore the full program and register for more events here.

The Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts hosted a panel exploring how CLTs can support processes of decolonization through community stewardship of land.

Bringing together land trust initiatives from across so-called Canada, this session highlighted how organizations are engaging with rematriation, Land Back, cultural resurgence, and housing justice within settler-colonial contexts. Speakers shared experiences from both established and emerging initiatives, including efforts to secure permanently affordable housing, support Indigenous-led governance, and reclaim land for cultural and ecological purposes.

Grounded in diverse regional experiences—from urban neighborhoods in Vancouver to Indigenous-led initiatives in Northern Ontario and Kingston—the discussion examined both the possibilities and tensions of using CLT models within existing legal and political systems. The session also reflected on key questions around governance, language, and the role of women and Two-Spirit leadership in shaping land stewardship practices.

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Organizations

Cultural Land Trust (British Columbia)

The Cultural Land Trust is an emerging initiative in British Columbia focusing on securing space for artists and cultural organizations. Supported by 221A during its development phase, emerging research explores strategies land trusts can employ to foster reciprocal relationships with host nations.

Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust (British Columbia)

The Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust is working to secure permanently deeply affordable housing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. Founded in 2020 by local organizations—and guided by Indigenous leadership, Elders, and tenant voices—the organization frames community ownership as part of a broader effort to decolonize housing systems.

Temiskaming District Community Land Trust (Ontario)

The Temiskaming District Community Land Trust is forming to address housing insecurity faced by Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people in Northern Ontario. Grounded in land reclamation and matrilineal governance, the emerging land trust will be governed by and for Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people, enabling them to design, build, and steward their own housing.

All Our Relations Land Trust (Ontario)

All Our Relations Land Trust, founded in 2022, enables the urban Indigenous community to take direct action for biodiversity restoration and cultural resurgence in Katarokwi (Kingston, Ontario). Its flagship project, the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Garden, creates space for community cultivation, ceremony, and ecological restoration. In 2024, the land was gifted by the United Church of Canada, highlighting a meaningful example of reconciliation through land return.

Event Organizer

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