NATIONAL TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION DAY

Hundreds gather for country’s first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Sep 30, 2021 | 3:55 PM

PRINCE GEORGE—More than 100 people came together at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Honouring the country’s first ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The crowd—wearing mostly orange shirts—gathered at the park early Thursday morning. The event was previously scaled back due to the current COVID-19 transmission rate in Northern Health.

Opening prayers, speeches, and smudging by Indigenous Peoples and leaders kicked off the day. Shortly after, the group marched around the park towards Exploration Place holding flowers.

The group was led with drumming and chants. A small memorial was formed outside of the Exploration Place to honour the children who didn’t make it home from residential schools.

The group then returned to the park’s stage where a drum circle was created and songs broke out.

National day for Truth and Reconciliation was declared a federal statutory holiday following this summer’s horrific discoveries of bodies from former residential schools in Canada.

The first residential school discovery was back in May in Kamloops.