WARNING: This story contains some disturbing details
Sept. 30 will mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — an annual commemoration honouring the children who died while attending residential schools and the survivors, families and communities still affected by the legacy of the residential school system.
The creation of the new federal statutory holiday was approved by Parliament days after the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation confirmed the discovery of roughly 200 potential burial sites, likely of children, on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
Weeks later, the Cowessess First Nation announced a preliminary finding of 751 unmarked graves at a cemetery near the former Marieval Indian Residential School east of Regina. Since then, more than 300 other potential burial sites have been identified, and searches are underway at sites across Canada.
While the discoveries have shocked many and led to an outpouring of grief and news coverage globally, Indigenous people and advocates say it had long been known and talked about that some of the children who were removed from their families and forced to attend residential schools never made it back home.
An undated photo of the Marieval residential school east of Regina. In June, 751 unmarked graves were detected at a cemetery near the site of the former school. (Collection générale de la Société historique de Saint-Boniface)
When and why was the day declared?
In 2017, Saskatchewan MP Georgina Jolibois introduced a private member’s bill to make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation an official holiday.
Two years earlier, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, set up to examine the abuses of the residential school system, had called upon the federal government to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in one of its 94 calls to action.
In its final report, based on hearings held between 2008 and 2014, the TRC said establishing a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation would honour survivors, their families, and communities and ” ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
Saskatchewan MP Georgina Jolibois, who in 2017 introduced a private member’s bill to make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation an official holiday. (Submitted by Georgina Jolibois)
On June 5, 2021, Bill C-5, which created a statutory holiday to commemorate the legacy of residential schools in Canada, received royal assent after passing unanimously in the Senate. The decision was fast-tracked following the Kamloops discovery.
The original proposed date was June 21 — National Indigenous Peoples Day. But after consultation with Indigenous groups and individuals from across Canada, the date was set for Sept. 30 instead.
The day has been marked in past years as Orange Shirt Day, originally started in 2013. The day honours residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, who had her orange shirt taken away on the first day of school.
Prime Minister JustinTrudeau at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School on Cowessess First Nation. (Richard Agecoutay/CBC)
Who will mark the day?
The new statutory holiday applies to federally regulated workplaces, meaning that on Sept. 30, federal government offices, banks and post offices will be closed.
Many provinces and territories will mark the day as a designated holiday and day off for students. However, Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario have chosen not to recognize Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday — a move that has been criticized by Indigenous groups and leaders.
Private companies and organizations can also decide whether or not they treat the day as a holiday.
People gather outside the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on June 5, 2021, as they welcome runners from the Syilx Okanagan Nation taking part in an annual run to unify the community while addressing mental health and cultural rejuvenation. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
How can I take part in National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?
Memorials, educational and cultural events will be held in communities across Canada on the day, and the Department of Canadian Heritage is encouraging Canadians to read and reflect on the legacy of residential schools.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has also unveiled a flag to honour residential school survivors, with nine design elements selected by over 30 residential school survivors.
The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc nation is inviting people to mark the day by learning the Secwépemc Honour Song, traditionally sung at Secwépemc gatherings, and to drum and sing along at 2:15 p.m. PT on Sept. 30.
WATCH | Learn the Secwépemc Honour Song:
CBC is marking the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a full day of programming and content showcasing First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and experiences across CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC.ca, CBC Kids, CBC Radio One and CBC Music, including a commercial-free prime time broadcast special.
How to follow CBC coverage:
All day at CBCNews.ca and on CBC News Network.
Prime-time special, 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. AT, 9:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television and CBC Gem.
10 a.m. on CBC Radio One: Q‘s Tom Power speaks with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin.
Noon on CBC Radio One: Unreserved host HostRosanna Deerchild, former Truth and Reconciliation Commission chair Murray Sinclair and musician William Prince share stories of resistance, reclamation and resilience.
A convoy of trucks in support of Tk’emlups te Secwepemc makes its way to the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on June 5, 2021. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
What are residential schools?
More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools between the 1870s and 1997.
In 1894, the Indian Act was amended to authorize the government to remove an Indigenous child from their family if it was felt they were not being properly cared for or educated and place them in a school. Subsequent amendments to the act in 1920 further reinforced compulsory attendance at the schools.
Children were removed from their families and culture and forced to learn English, embrace Christianity and adopt the customs of Canada’s white majority.
Children in class at the Catholic residential school in Fort George, Que. in 1939. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up to examine the abuses of the residential school system concluded that the schools were part of a collective, calculated effort to eradicate Indigenous language and culture. (Deschâtelets Archives)
Many of the children at residential schools were physically, sexually or psychologically abused in a system described by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in its landmark 2015 report as cultural genocide, part of a collective, calculated effort to eradicate Indigenous language and culture.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which houses the material collected by the TRC, has identified the names of, or information about, more than 4,100 children who died while attending these schools, most due to malnourishment or disease.
But former senator Murray Sinclair, who chaired the TRC, has said he believes the death toll could be much higher because of the schools’ poor burial records.
Murray Sinclair, former chair for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, will be part of CBC’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation coverage on Radio One at noon. ( Kim Kaschor/CBC)
Where in Canada were residential schools?
The Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) has recognized 139 residential schools across Canada, though that number excludes schools that operated without federal support. Some schools were run solely by religious orders or provincial governments.
The 139 schools operated in all Canadian provinces and territories except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. There were also residential schools in N.L., but they weren’t included in the IRSSA.
In 1931, at the peak of the residential school system, there were about 80 schools operating in the country.
The last school to close, in 1997, was Kivalliq Hall in Rankin Inlet, in what is now Nunavut.
Kivalliq Hall in Rankin Inlet, now Nunavut, was the last residential school to close in 1997. (NWT Archives/Northwest Territories. Department of Public Works and Services fonds/G-1995-001: 5917)
In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a formal apology in the House of Commons on behalf of the government of Canada over residential schools and the damage they did to Indigenous people.
There were also more than 600 so-called Indian day schools that operated across Canada in every province and territory except Newfoundland and Labrador between 1863 and 2000. First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were sent to the schools during the day but remained in their communities. Some who attended the day schools have reported similar abuses as those that occurred at residential schools.
WATCH | Harper apologizes for residential schools in 2008:
Prime minister apologizes for residential schools
13 years ago
In Parliament, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers an apology to residential school survivors and all Indigenous Canadians in 2008. Warning: This video contains distressing details. About 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were forced to attend the government-funded residential schools from the 19th century to 1996, when the last one closed. They lived in substandard conditions and endured sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The system was “cultural genocide,” said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015. A 24-hour national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available at 1-866-925-4419 to support former students and others affected by a residential school experience. 2:54
Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools, and those who are triggered by the latest reports.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Hearing the familiar sounds of clacking sticks and pucks banging off the boards and glass while watching Columbus Blue Jackets prospects from the stands of a cold rink on a warm late-summer afternoon was not enough to wash away the lingering residuals of grief for Don Waddell on Saturday.
That, the Blue Jackets’ general manager acknowledged, will take more time than anyone can guess — weeks, months, perhaps an entire season and beyond.
What mattered is how spending the weekend attending the Sabres Prospects Challenge represented a start to what Waddell called among the first steps in refocusing on hockey and the future in the aftermath of the deaths of Columbus star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, who were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles on Aug 29.
“We got to play hockey,” Waddell said. “We’re not going to forget about Johnny and his family, the Gaudreau family.”
“Everybody knows that Johnny wants them to play hockey,” Waddell said. “And everybody’s rallying around that.”
The resumption of hockey in Columbus began last week, when most Blue Jackets players returned to their facility to be together and lean on each other at the urging of Waddell and team captain Boone Jenner. And it will continue on Thursday, when the team opens training camp, exactly three weeks since the Gaudreaus were killed.
“Tragic. Senseless. But now we got to focus on trying to get our team ready to play hockey this year,” Waddell said. “We all mourn and heal differently, but I think as a team being together like that is going to be critical for them to get moving forward.”
Waddell was general manager of the then-Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 when Dany Heatley lost control of his car and struck a wall, with the crash killing passenger and teammate Dan Snyder. In 2021, Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks died during a July Fourth fireworks accident.
Waddell placed the emphasis on himself and coach Dean Evason — both newcomers to Columbus this offseason — to guide the team through what will be an emotional season.
“Now, do I think there’s going to be some dark days? I won’t be surprised,” Waddell said.
Reminders of the Gaudreaus’ deaths remain apparent, and reflected in Buffalo on Friday night. A moment of silence was held in tribute to the brothers before the opening faceoff of a game between the Blue Jackets and Sabres.
Afterward, Columbus prospect Gavin Brindley recalled the times he spent with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus and as teammates representing the United States at the world hockey championships in the Czech Republic in May.
“He was one of the biggest mentors for me at the world championships,” Brindley said. “I couldn’t tell you how many times we hung out with Meredith, pictures on my phone. It’s just so hard to look back and see that kind of stuff.”
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are providing the Blue Jackets help in the form of grief counseling, crowd security at vigils and addressing hockey issues, such as potentially altering the league’s salary cap rules to provide Columbus relief from having to reach the NHL minimum payroll because of the void left by Gaudreau’s contract.
“The Blue Jackets, I don’t think anybody’s focused from an organizational standpoint, from a hockey standpoint as to what comes next, because I think everybody’s still in shock,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told The Associated Press last week. “I don’t think anybody’s focused right now other than on the grieving part, which is understandable.”
Much of the burden has fallen to Waddell, who has been in discussions with the NHL and the NHLPA and dealing with outreach programs with the Blue Jackets’ partner OhioHealth, while also overseeing preparations for training camp and gauging his prospects in Buffalo.
There’s also his roster to attend to, which he said has two openings at forward, one involving Justin Danforth, who may miss the start of the season because of a wrist injury. Waddell didn’t have to mention the second opening.
Tiring and emotional as it’s been, Waddell found comfort being in his element, a rink, and looking ahead to the start of training camp.
“The guys are in really good shape. We’ve done a lot of testing already and they’re eager to get going,” Waddell said. “We have a reason to play for. And we’ll make the best of it.”
The Blue Jackets later Sunday signed veteran winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract worth $900,000.
“James van Riemsdyk has been a very consistent, productive player throughout his career,” Waddell said. “Bringing him to Columbus will not only provide depth to our group up front, but also valuable leadership and another veteran presence in our dressing room.”
___
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed to this report.
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes was the target of abusive and racist comments on social media after a French league game.
The club condemned the abuse and expressed its “full support” Sunday for the Portugal left back, who was targeted following PSG’s 3-1 win against Brest on Saturday.
Mendes, who is Black, shared on his Instagram account a racist message he received.
During the match, Mendes brought down Ludovic Ajorque in the box for a penalty that Romain Del Castillo converted to give Brest the lead.
“Paris Saint-Germain doesn’t tolerate racism, antisemitism or any other form of discrimination,” the club said. “The racial insults directed at Nuno Mendes are totally unacceptable … we are working with the relevant authorities and associations to ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.
Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.
The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.
“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.
“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”
Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.
The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.
“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”
It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.
“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”
Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.
He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.
Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.
“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”
Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.
“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.
Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.
Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.
“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”
Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.
Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.
Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.
Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.
Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.
“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
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