Orange Shirt Day events in B.C. marking National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
CBC
It will be the second time Kevin O'Neill participates in a pilgrimage to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, on Sept. 30.
Last year, the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation councillor along with 200 others walked 8.5 kilometres from the Tsleil-Waututh reserve, located along Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver, to the site of the former St. Paul's Residential School, now occupied by St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Secondary School.
But this year, participants of the pilgrimage will walk the other way around.
"We're completing the cycle," said O'Neill.
"This is a healing journey for our elders, for our youth, because there's a lot of intergenerational trauma."
WATCH | Hundreds join pilgrimage to former residential school last year:
The pilgrimage — to be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — is one of dozens of events across the province commemorating the effects and legacy of residential schools.
Sept. 30 was made a statutory holiday in 2021, days after the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation confirmed the discovery of about 200 potential burial sites on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops last July.
Sept. 30 is also known as Orange Shirt Day, which honours people who were forced to attend residential schools. It began in 2013 to honour residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, who had her orange shirt taken away on the first day of school.
O'Neill says he expects more community members will join the pilgrimage this year, and he hopes they will acknowledge the reactions of spectators, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, on the sidelines.
"Last year, the people on the sidelines … you can feel the pain from them," he said. "This isn't just a healing journey for the Indigenous people. This is a healing journey for everyone.
"It's not just about learning about residential schools or the trauma the came with the residential schools, but also learning about all the host nations that they live around," he added.
"It's about reconciliation and repatriation."
In addition to the pilgrimmage, the City of Delta is holding three "blanket exercise" events, where participants step on blankets as though stepping into the shoes of an Indigenous person.
The government of Saskatchewan has announced plans to reduce the length of non-resident game bird hunting licences to combat illegal guiding.
An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.
A national organization is seeking people with experience in Canada's forestry sector as they put together a working group that will examine ways to improve forest recovery following wildfires.
Ella Heyder is bracing for a breakup, even though she already moved out decades ago.
Shawne Hopkins never saw it coming.
Politicians return to Queen’s Park Monday for a shortened spring session, as Premier Doug Ford prepares to unveil his eight budget amid heightened global economic uncertainty.
Despite a recent announcement that a water supply pipeline will be build in Oneida Nation of the Thames, some members of the community say that's no excuse for taking water for granted.
As scandal has swirled around former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, questions and curiosity have also focused on his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Friday may have been the first day of spring, but winter storms are not over yet for Newfoundland.