5 suggestions for things to do on Truth and Reconciliation Day Thursday
CBC
On Thursday, Sept. 30, Canadians will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for the first time in history.
The federal government's recognition of the holiday, which will also be formally acknowledged by Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and Nova Scotia, is an important milestone in the journey to mending the relationship between the country and its Indigenous people.
Darlene Bernard, chief of the Lennox Island First Nation in western P.E.I., says the day is first and foremost about sombre reflection.
Held around the time when Indigenous children would have been taken from their homes to residential schools, the day will be observed to honour the victims and survivors of the schools, as well as to reflect on how their legacy has affected Indigenous communities.
"It's a recognition by the federal and provincial government that there is a colonial history here, that our children were stolen from us," Bernard said. "And now we have to agree that that happened, recognize that we've been hurt deeply and that now we have to work toward reconciliation."
On P.E.I., government offices and schools will be closed for the day. For Islanders who are looking to be supportive but aren't sure how, here are some ways Bernard suggests for respectfully observing Truth and Reconciliation Day.
One of the simplest ways to show some support for Indigenous people on Sept. 30 is to wear orange, Bernard said.
Burlington MP Karina Gould gets boost from local young people after entering Liberal leadership race
A day after entering the Liberal leadership race, Burlington, Ont., MP and government House leader Karina Gould was cheered at a campaign launch party by local residents — including young people expressing hope the 37-year-old politician will represent their voices.
Two years after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly declared she was taking the unprecedented step of moving to confiscate millions of dollars from a sanctioned Russian oligarch with assets in Canada, the government has not actually begun the court process to forfeit the money, let alone to hand it over to Ukrainian reconstruction — and it may never happen.