Indigenous leaders disappointed B.C. won't have a stat holiday to reflect on reconciliation this year
CBC
Indigenous leaders and community members are urging the B.C. government to make Sept. 30 a statutory holiday, so more people can take time to reflect on the legacy of colonialism.
Many will be missing out on the chance to mark the day properly because they will be working, says Caroline Pollard, a Nisga'a survivor of the Sixties Scoop.
Pollard, 63, has worked in retail for the past three decades and has the option of taking a paid personal day, she says — but that's not an option for everyone.
"I believe the whole of Canada should be given that opportunity to take that day and learn more," she said.
One of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action from December 2015 called upon the federal government to establish a statutory holiday to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools.
Bill C-5 received royal assent on June 3, 2021, recognizing Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
It's a statutory holiday for employees in the federal government and federally regulated workplaces, but the provinces are taking different approaches toward how it's being observed.
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