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.
Vancouver Canucks winger Dakota Joshua has announced he’ll miss the start of training camp following surgery for testicular cancer.
Joshua said in a statement posted to social media by the team Tuesday that he felt a lump on one of his testicles this summer and later had surgery to successfully remove the tumour.
The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., said he plans on returning to play “as soon as possible” and is “working hard every day” to rejoin his teammates.
Joshua said the last several weeks have been “extremely challenging” and encouraged men to get checked regularly for testicular cancer.
The six-foot-three, 206-pound forward had a career-high 18 goals and 14 assists in 63 games for the Canucks last season and signed a new four-year, US$13-million deal with Vancouver at the end of June.
The Canucks are set to open their training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
TORONTO – Coach John Herdman isn’t putting too much stock in the fact that Toronto FC, since losing 4-0 in Columbus on July 6, has posted a better league record than the defending MLS champion.
Toronto, which beat visiting Austin 2-1 on Saturday, has won four of six league outings (4-2-0) since that setback at Lower.com Field while the Crew are 3-2-2.
“I don’t put any credence (in that),” said Herdman. “I just look at their squad and I salivate.”
Its easy to see why.
Columbus provided a league-high five players to the MLS all-star game on its home field in July in defenders Rudy Camacho and Steven Moreira, midfielder/captain Darlington Nagbe and forwards Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi.
Herdman sees layers of talent behind those all-stars.
“You see the way that they’re able to almost carbon-copy players. One comes in, another goes out … and they feel like they have a very similar profile. So to be able to take (Christian) Ramirez out and then bring (Canadian forward Jacen) Russell-Rowe in as a power forward, you look and go ‘Whoa, that’s good to have.'”
Federico Bernardeschi was Toronto’s lone all-star.
Columbus (14-5-8) comes to BMO Field on Wednesday in third place in the Eastern Conference, five places and 14 points ahead of Toronto (11-15-3). A playoff position already clinched, the Crew are hoping to leapfrog Cincinnati into second spot.
Coach Wilfried Nancy is looking forward to matching wits against Herdman.
“John is going to cook (up) something,” the Frenchman said with a belly laugh. “I know John. When we played a game in (the) pre-season, it wasn’t a pre-season game. It was a real game. But this is John. That’s why I like him, because he’s intense all the time.”
“They’re going to try to go all-in. They’re going to try to press us, they’re going to try to match us,” he added. “They know exactly the way we want to play so we’ll have to be clever and creative also.”
Herdman, meanwhile, says TFC will have to play error-free football.
While the Crew have failed to score in their last two outings (a 4-0 loss to visiting Seattle and 0-0 draw at rival FC Cincinnati), Toronto is hurting in its backline.
Nicksoen Gomis and Henry Wingo both left the Austin game early with hamstring injuries with Herdman estimating that Gomis will be out three to four weeks and Wingo 10-12 days. Veteran Kevin Long missed the Austin game after tweaking his hamstring in training and will undergo a fitness test ahead of the game.
Shane O’Neill, meanwhile, is suspended for yellow-card accumulation.
“A tricky situation,” said Herdman.
The Crew are a formidable opponent.
Columbus is tied with Real Salt Lake for fifth in the league in averaging 1.93 goals a game. Only Inter Miami (2.32), Portland Timbers (2.00), Los Angeles Galaxy (1.97) and Colorado Rapids (1.96) score more.
And Columbus boasts the league’s stingiest defence, conceding 1.04 goals a game. In contrast, the Toronto defence is tied for 22nd at 1.76 goals a game.
Toronto has conceded 51 goals, 23 more than Columbus, which has collected more points (7-3-4, 25 points) on the road in league play this season than Toronto has at home (7-7-0, 21 points).
Columbus’ roster also includes Canadian wingback Mo Farsi, who scored in the July win over Toronto.
The Columbus game is the first of four in an 11-day stretch that will see TFC club visit Colorado on Saturday, Vancouver on Sept. 25 in the Canadian Championship final and Chicago on Sept. 28. Toronto will then close out the regular season at home to the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 2 and Inter Miami on Oct. 5.
If the playoffs were to start tomorrow, Toronto would face ninth-place D.C. United in a wild-card matchup with the winner advancing to take on the East’s top seed — currently Miami — in the best-of-three first round.
Herdman would like a different scenario, with his eyes set on overtaking seventh-place Charlotte, which has two points and a game in hand over Toronto. The seventh-place side takes on No. 2 — currently Cincinnati — in the first round.
“We’re looking up, not down at the moment,” said Herdman. “It’s a good motivation for the lads to see that next level on the table. And it has been raised. If we’re able to get to that point, it means you’re not headed down to Miami in the heat, which is a tough place to go.”
“We’ll take whatever comes,” he added. “But the critical part is to get into these playoffs. That’s the key mission at the moment.”
Toronto has not made the post-season since 2020 when, after finishing second overall in the Supporters’ Shield standings, it was upset by Nashville after extra time at the first hurdle.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins placed Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve Tuesday after the quarterback was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years.
Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games. He will be eligible to return in Week 8 when the Dolphins host Arizona, but has to complete a series of tests and assessments required by the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can return to the field.
Tagovailoa was hurt last Thursday night when he collided with Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin. He ran for a first down and then initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.
Players from both teams immediately motioned that Tagovailoa was hurt, and as he lay on the turf the quarterback exhibited some signs typically associated with a traumatic brain injury. He remained down on the field for a couple of minutes, got to his feet and walked to the sideline. The Dolphins diagnosed him with a concussion a few minutes later.
Coach Mike McDaniel has since cautioned against speculation on the quarterback’s future, stressing that he’s more focused on Tagovailoa getting healthy than what this latest concussion means for the team or for his career. Tagovailoa this week began the process of consulting neurologists about his health amid reports that he has no plans to retire.
Others around the NFL have offered their opinions on Tagovailoa’s future, including Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who suggested he should retire.
“As far as Tua’s career is concerned, I think it’s an utmost priority of mine for Tua to speak on Tua’s career,” McDaniel said Monday. “Reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just worried about the human being and where that’s at day to day. I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career.”
McDaniel said Tagovailoa was at the team’s practice facility on Monday, greeting teammates and working with trainers.
“He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits,” receiver Jaylen Waddle said Monday. “(He’s) got the team in good spirits and everybody praying for him and hoping (for his) health.”
Head injuries have become a familiar, scary occurrence throughout Tagovailoa’s career.
In a September 2022 game against the Bills, he took a hit from linebacker Matt Milano, which caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his feet. He was cleared to return to that game and later said it was a back injury that caused the stumble. He was not diagnosed with a concussion.
Four days later, he got hit again during a Thursday night game at Cincinnati in which he was briefly knocked unconscious and was taken off the field on a stretcher. As he lay on the turf, his fingers appeared to display the “fencing response,” an involuntary motion typically associated with a brain injury. That time, he was placed in the concussion protocol.
The NFL and the players’ union made changes to the concussion protocol after those two incidents with Tagovailoa. Players who have problems with balance or stability are now prohibited from returning to a game.
Tagovailoa briefly considered retirement, but instead returned and studied ways to better protect himself on the field, including taking jiu-jitsu classes ahead of the 2023 season.
Tagovailoa has said he spoke to numerous neurologists who told him they did not believe he would be more susceptible to head injuries than any other player moving forward, nor would he be at a higher risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disease associated with repeated blows to the head. He was also diagnosed with a concussion while in college at Alabama.
With Tagovailoa sidelined, the Dolphins will go with backup Skylar Thompson when play at Seattle on Sunday. Miami also signed Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad.
