ABOUT NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH & RECONCILIATION

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on September 30 and a chance for all Canadians to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system. September 30th is a day for reflection, remembrance, and healing for Indigenous Peoples. We are providing education on local events and food (bannock) at the District Office on the Thursday prior so we can learn to walk the reconciliation pathway together. This is a day to honour the resilience, dignity and strength of survivors and intergenerational survivors and remember the children who never came home. It’s a chance to engage and educate people about B.C.’s colonial history and how it has and continues to impact Indigenous communities.

Since 2013, September 30 has been commemorated as Orange Shirt Day across Canada in honour of the Survivors of Indian Residential Schools. On September 30, we encourage all Canadians to wear orange to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools.

On August 3, 2021 the BC Government formally recognized September 30 as a statutory holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The date was declared a statutory federal holiday with the passage of Bill C-5 in June of 2021, in response to one of the 94 Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This day is an important step in the reconciliation process. It provides an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, and to honour their survivors, their families and communities.

To commemorate this day, the District of Logan Lake will raise an orange flag at the municipal office to honour the historic tragic loss of indigenous children at Canada’s residential schools, and to stand in solidarity with the families, survivors, and communities who continue to suffer the impacts of past Canadian policies.

Reconciliation is a journey in which we all have a part to play. May we all find ways to listen, to dialogue, to learn and to act in pursuit of truth, dignity, and, ultimately reconciliation.

CLOSED FOR STATUTORY HOLIDAY

As part of this formal recognition, all District facilities will be closed September 30.

WAYS TO HONOUR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

• Attend a local event
• Wear Orange on September 30 for Orange Shirt Day
• Watch the events on Parliament Hill at 4PM PST
• Plan for a moment of silence and reflection on September 30. The time of 2:15pm on September 30,  reflects the discovery of the remains of 215 children in a mass graveyard on a former residential school site in Kamloops, BC, in May 2021.
• Learn about First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.
• Take a course: Reconciliation Education

LEARNING RESOURCES

• Indigenous history in Canada
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• 94 Calls to Action, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
• Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People: Government of BC
• UNDRIP Implementation plan in BC
• First Nation’s Leadership Council

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AVAILABLE

The day can be triggering for many.

• Former residential school students can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada.
• Indigenous peoples across Canada can also go to The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention.
• Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat (Please use Google Chrome).