In acknowledgement of the important contribution Indigenous people and communities provide and in the spirit of reconciliation, the Parksville Civic and Technology Centre will be lit in orange and the commemorative flag will be flown from Sept. 26 through Oct. 4.
City offices will be closed on Monday, Oct. 2 for the statutory holiday, according to a news release by the City of Parksville.
In 2021, the federal government passed Bill C-5, which officially designated National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, a national day to recognize and commemorate the tragic legacy of residential schools in Canada.
“National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to honour the resilience, dignity and strength of survivors and intergenerational survivors and to remember the child who never came home,” said Mayor Doug O’Brien. “We encourage everyone to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and how we can show support for survivors, their families, and communities.”
Saturday, Sept. 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, intended to raise awareness of the inter-generational impacts of residential schools and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters.”
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The day honours the children who never returned home and the strength of residential school survivors, as well as the resiliency of their families and communities.
“We encourage all to wear orange to honour the thousands of survivors of residential schools,” the release said.
The City of Parksville recognizes with gratitude, the people of the Coast Salish Nations and the traditional territory of the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation and the Qualicum First Nation.
To learn more about residential schools, visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website.
The commemorative flag was created by survivors to share their expression of remembrance with the broader public and to honour residential school survivors, families, and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada.
— NEWS Staff, submitted
