As Canada held its second National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Friday, provinces and territories are facing growing pressure to recognize it as a public holiday.
Posted yesterday at 11:34 p.m.
Currently, only New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have declared September 30 a statutory holiday, following the lead of the federal government.
However, Murray Sinclair, who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, pointed out at an event in Ottawa that many governments have moved quickly to acknowledge the Queen’s death. He would therefore like residential school survivors to have the same kind of response.
“It’s not a radical concept, to pause and reflect. We do it quite often for other events, ”he recalled, citing in particular Remembrance Day, November 11.
Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations said that three years after the provincial government adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, failure to designate September 30 as a public holiday is a “serious obstacle” to the reconciliation process.
“A day of the year dedicated to honoring survivors and sitting down to listen to their stories is not too much to ask,” Chief Teegee pleaded.
“If British Columbia is truly committed to reconciliation, it must prioritize the public commemoration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as an essential part of the healing process. »
British Columbia’s Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation said in a statement that the province is talking with Indigenous peoples to determine the future of the day.
“We are focused on working with Indigenous leaders and communities to mark September 30 in a way that aligns with how they would like to see their day marked,” the ministry explained.
A day of “reflection”
In Ottawa, Mr. Sinclair said the day should be “a day of reflection and discussion”.
“Canadians need to take a day to open up to survivors, listen to them and resolve to do better in the other 364 days of the year,” he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a crowd in Niagara Falls, Ont., Friday that truth and reconciliation are not just things of the past.
“It’s a day to remember, to mourn, to take another step towards healing. But it’s also a day for non-Indigenous people to recognize that you shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone,” he said.
In the Yukon, NDP Leader Kate White announced the party would introduce legislation to make the day a statutory holiday in the territory.
In Quebec, Liberal leader Dominique Anglade said September 30 should be a public holiday, but Premier François Legault opposed it last year, saying “we need more productivity in Quebec.”