Happy New Year from OALA!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday spent with friends and family and are looking forward to more opportunities to learn, connect, and grow in the New Year. Check out what's in store for 2025!

OALA UPDATES

Last Reminder: OALA Membership Renewal

OALA Membership invoices were sent out May 1, 2024. In order to take advantage of the benefits of being an OALA Member, including attending both OALA and NALMA's training opportunities and having access to online training sessions and resources, you must be a member in good standing.

If you did not receive an invoice or have questions about renewing your OALA membership, please contact Shannon Smith, Administrative Support at admin@oala-on.ca.

EXTERNAL UPDATES

Modernization of the Canada Lands Surveys Act Phase 1: Indigenous Engagement Survey

Redesign of the Additions to Reserve Policy - Interim Changes

Keep up with more updates by visiting https://oala-on.ca/news/.

To keep up with future virtual and in-person training sessions, download our 2024 - 2025 Annual Events Calendar here or visit the Events page on our website.

ONLINE EVENTS

Click the icon above the online event you’d like to learn more about to link to OALA's website.

Webinars and Lunch & Learn sessions are typically recorded and posted on the Members Portal.

If you require access to the Members Portal please contact Ashley at communications@oala-on.ca.

Virtual Lunch & Learn

January 15

Introduction to OALA's Additions to Reserve Unit

Webinar

January 29

Appraisals 101

IN-PERSON TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Date: February 19 - 20, 2025 (2-days)

Location: Six Nations of the Grand River

Registration Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2025

Sponsorship: Travel sponsorship is available in the amount of $2000.00 per OALA Member First Nation.

Date: March 11 - 13, 2025

Location: Ottawa, ON

Registration Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2025

Sponsorship: Travel sponsorship is available in the amount of $2000.00 per OALA Member First Nation.

Update: This training will be introducing 3 NEW modules to the toolkit:

• Changes Species and Spaces Due to Climate Change
• Using Land Relationship Visioning in Other Departments
• Land Relationship Building to Support Off Territory Land Use Plans

Date: March 5 - 6, 2025

Location: Chippewas of Rama First Nation

Registration Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2025

Sponsorship: Travel sponsorship is available in the amount of $2000.00 per OALA Member First Nation.

• Reserve Land Designation Toolkit Training

• Additions to Reserve/Reserve Creation (ATR/RC)

• Land Use Planning

• Permits and Consultation Issues

• Species at Risk

To view NALMA's 2024-25 Specialized Training Schedule, click here or visit nalma.ca/events for more events.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Cambium Indigenous Professional Services is seeking First Nation communities interested in bringing their vision to life! The Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund builds on Land Relationship Visioning as the next step in community planning. The purpose of this initiative is to connect First Nation communities with the opportunity to access funding for actual on-land site work.

For more information on accessing funding for on-land work, please contact:

Michael Jacobs

CEO

Cambium Indigenous Professional Services

m.jacobs@indigenousaware.com

2025 - 26 Land Use Planning Funding Initiative

NALMA’s 2025 - 26 Land Use Planning Funding Initiative call for proposals is now open (November 28th, 2024 – February 21st, 2025).

There are three separate funding categories you can apply for:

• Category 1: Pre-Planning – Background Report
• Category 2: Land Use Plan Development, Implementation and Monitoring
• Category 3: Updating an Existing Land Use Plan 

See application instructions here.

For more information and application forms, please visit https://nalma.ca/funding/land-use-planning.

Please reach out to NALMA's Land Use Planning (LUP) Unit if you have any questions.

Alex Marques

LUP Program Specialist

amarques@nalma.ca

Krista Knott

LUP Program Administrative Support

kknott@nalma.ca

NALMA Land Use Planning (LUP) Program Funding Officer

To keep up with job postings both from OALA and other First Nation organizations, visit the Employment Opportunities page of our website under the Resources tab.

If your First Nation Lands Department would like to advertise on our job

board, please send job postings to Ashley O'Hara, Communications Technician at

communications@oala-on.ca.

OALA'S QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO

LAND TRANSACTIONS

MEMBER PORTAL

In OALA’s member login portal, you will find:

Documents: (a library, sorted by folder topics for ease of use, which will include templates, webinars, and other resources, that have been created or curated by OALA staff, or shared by other OALA members)

Lunch & Learns and Webinars: (all OALA webinars that have been delivered since 2020 are available here, including Handouts, PowerPoint Presentations, and Video Recordings)

To access these sections, click on “Members Only” at the top right-hand corner and a drop down menu will appear.

Jessica Pickett, Executive Director

ed@oala-on.ca | 519-857-9228

Colleen Brant, Registration Officer

registration@oala-on.ca | 519-857-9249

Abigail Zalewski, Project Coordinator

coordinator@oala-on.ca | 519-857-9218

Clynt King, GIS Technician

gis@oala-on.ca | 519-872-9227

Alison Irons-Cummings, Estates Coordinator

estates@oala-on.ca | 519-857-9210

Shannon Smith, Administrative Support

admin@oala-on.ca | 519-857-9226

Ashley O'Hara, Communications Specialist

communications@oala-on.ca | 519-857-9233

Georgette Howard, ATR Support Coordinator

atr@oala-on.ca | 519-857-4046

ONTARIO ABORIGINAL LANDS ASSOCIATION | www.oala-on.ca