First Light to Retire First Voice Brand as Advocacy Work Evolves

St. John’s, NL — First Light today is announcing plans to retire the First Voice brand, which for more than five years has served as the public face of the organization’s urban Indigenous coalition. The transition reflects an evolution of First Light’s coalition-building work into an expanded, more fully integrated advocacy strategy across the organization.

Launched in 2019, First Voice was established to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together in a spirit of truth and reconciliation to advance urban Indigenous rights in St. John’s and across Newfoundland and Labrador. Over the following years, the coalition became a well known leader in urban Indigenous-led systems change, helping to shift how institutions, governments, and communities engage in reconciliation work. Its collaborative Partnership Table model garnered national attention and inspired other coalitions across the country.

More than Half a Decade of Community-Driven Change

The idea for an urban Indigenous-led coalition in St. John’s first took hold in 2015, when First Light – then the St. John’s Native Friendship Centre – began exploring ways to improve Indigenous visibility, representation, and collaboration across local service sectors. By 2019, community-driven conversations led to the creation of the St. John’s Urban Indigenous Coalition, which later adopted the name First Voice.

Early priorities were guided by a community feast held that same year. Soon after, St. John’s City Council adopted its Declaration in Support of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Among other things, the Declaration promised to continue collaborating with First Light to develop a shared Community Action Plan. That Action Plan, released in 2023 and called Our Shared Vision, put forward 42 Calls for Change to advance truth and reconciliation in the city and across the province.

Other significant milestones included:

• Establishing the Working Group on Police Oversight in 2022, the findings of which helped shape the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission Act that was passed earlier this year by the NL House of Assembly;
• Forming the Joint Coordinating Committee on Indigenous Rights (JCCIR), under the co-leadership of the City of St. John’s to implement 18 municipal-level Calls for Change;
• Renaming the June Holiday in the City of St. John’s and the City of Mount Pearl in favour of recognizing National Indigenous Peoples Day; and
• Releasing Reconciliation Report 2024: Steps Taken, Miles to Go, outlining the status of each of the Calls for Change and identifying specific next-steps for decision-makers both in and outside government.

The coalition also celebrated Indigenous leadership and creativity through the Indigenous Advocate Award and the Creative Residency in Public Policy Spaces.

“What began as a fledgling coalition supported by a single staff member has since grown into a ten-person advocacy team at First Light,” said Justin Campbell, Director of Advocacy. “The work we did through First Voice is the foundation for everything we now do today. In its time, the coalition showed that real change can happen when we empower community to lead.”

A Living Legacy at First Light

At the core of First Light’s new integrated advocacy model is the First Light Advocacy Council, which brings together Elders, community representatives, and program coordinators across all functional areas. The Council ensures that all advocacy work is guided by community, grounded in culture, and informed by lived experience.

As part of this evolution, a new series of seasonal feasts called the Gathering of Voices will launch on November 18, 2025, with the goal of bringing together community members, allies, and institutions to strengthen relationships and advance the ongoing work of truth and reconciliation as outlined in the 42 Calls for Change. Gatherings will take place in the spring, summer, fall, and winter.

“We thank all of our wonderful community volunteers and organizational partners who have been walking alongside us since 2019. Their dedication and support have made this transformational growth possible,” said Stacey Howse, President and CEO of First Light. “We’re planting our advocacy work even deeper than before. The wisdom, energy, and relationships that made First Voice so successful will now live on in the roots of First Light.”

The full story of First Voice’s history and accomplishments is available on the First Light website at firstlightnl.ca/firstvoice.

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