The Truth and Reconciliation Commission did not end its work with a general hope for better relations. It ended with 94 Calls to Action, and each one names who should act and what they should do. That precision is a model for your own writing. A post that says 'reconciliation matters' is easy to agree with and easy to ignore. A letter to a specific person, about a specific Call, asking for a specific step, is much harder to ignore, because it gives the reader something they can actually do. This topic teaches two forms of advocacy writing — the formal letter and the op-ed, an opinion piece written for a newspaper or website — and the choices that make them persuasive: audience, purpose, evidence, technique and a clear request. It also asks you to write responsibly, keeping Survivors and First Nations, Métis and Inuit voices at the centre rather than speaking for them.
Choosing a Call and an audience
Start with a Call you understand well and can connect to your own community, then ask who near you has the power to move it forward. Your audience is the person or group who can act: a school board trustee, your MPP or MP, a city councillor, the editor of a local paper, a sports club or a business owner. Your purpose is what you want that reader to do after reading, stated as a single sentence. Matching the Call, the audience and the purpose is the most important decision you will make, because even beautiful writing fails if it asks the wrong person for something they cannot give.
| Calls | Section | Addressed to (in summary) | A local audience a student could write to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62 to 65 | Education for reconciliation | Governments, working with Survivors, Indigenous peoples and educators | A school board trustee or your MPP, about learning on treaties and residential schools |
| 84 to 86 | Media and reconciliation | The CBC (84), the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (85), and journalism and media schools (86) | A local newspaper editor or a college journalism program |
| 87 to 91 | Sports and reconciliation | Governments, sports organizations, halls of fame and major games | A local sports hall of fame or club, about telling the stories of Indigenous athletes |
| 92 | Business and reconciliation | The corporate sector | A local business, about hiring, training or partnership with Indigenous communities |
| 93 and 94 | Newcomers to Canada | The federal government, about newcomer information and the citizenship oath | Your MP, about what newcomers learn about treaties and residential schools |
Letter format
Your street address
Your city, Ontario Postal code
October 1, 2026
The Recipient's Full Name
Title
Organization
Street address
City, Ontario Postal code
Dear Councillor Martin:
Opening paragraph: who you are and why you are writing, in two or three sentences.
Body paragraphs: the Call to Action, your evidence, and a local connection.
Closing paragraph: your specific request and an offer to follow up.
Sincerely,
Your full name
Your email addressOp-ed structure
- Hook. A specific, concrete opening — a local fact, a scene, a date — not a dictionary definition.
- Context. What the reader needs to know: the Call to Action by number, paraphrased accurately, and the local situation.
- Claim. One clear sentence stating your position.
- Evidence. Two or three pieces: the Call itself, facts from reliable sources, and published words of First Nations, Métis or Inuit people and organizations.
- Counterargument and response. State the strongest objection fairly — cost, time, 'it's already done' — and answer it.
- Call to action. Exactly what you want readers or a named institution to do, and by when if possible.
- Closing line. Return to the hook or look ahead, so the piece ends with weight rather than a summary.
Persuasive techniques
| Technique | Example | Use it with care |
|---|---|---|
| Self-location (ethos) | 'As a Grade 11 student in Thunder Bay who was never taught about the Robinson-Superior Treaty…' | Claim only the experience you actually have |
| Specific evidence (logos) | The Call by number, a dated fact, a published report | Cite every fact; round numbers honestly |
| Story (pathos) | A brief, real moment from your own life or a published account | Never invent or embellish someone else's suffering |
| Concession | 'Changing a program takes time, but…' | Concede only what is true, then answer it |
| Rule of three | 'Read it, learn it, act on it.' | Use once; repetition wears thin |
| Specific ask | 'Please add a treaty-education session to the March agenda.' | Ask the reader for something within their power |
Reflecting on your writing
- Audience. Could the person I wrote to actually do what I asked?
- Accuracy. Did I cite the Call by number and paraphrase it correctly? Can every fact be traced to a source?
- Voice. Did I speak for myself, and let First Nations, Métis and Inuit sources speak for themselves?
- Persuasion. Which technique was strongest, and which felt forced?
- Next step. What would I change in a second draft, and what will I do if I get a reply?