Message from Mayor Hackson - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Next week marks the second year Canada will officially recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. But Indigenous Communities have recognized the day for years. That’s because generations of Indigenous Communities have known this time as one of great difficulty. The Indian residential school system took thousands of children away from their families, culture, language, medicines, and way of life. It’s a system that continues to have a profound impact on generations of families in a way that non-Indigenous communities will never comprehend.

As a municipality, it is our responsibility to recognize this day as one of immense sadness. For those who survived the residential school system and the thousands who didn’t survive, we offer our commitment to be better and do better.

On September 28 at 10 a.m. a Land Acknowledgement Plaque with artwork created by Lauri Hoeg, a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation will be unveiled at the Civic Centre to honour the land of the First Peoples of the Williams Treaty First Nations and other Indigenous Communities and on Friday, September 30 at 9 a.m., EG will raise the Every Child Matters flag to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We invite the community to join us in this recognition.