Public Service Announcement
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Information for the Public
Release Date: September 22, 2021

To honour survivors and raise awareness about the terrible legacy of residential schools in Canada, the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay will observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2021.

On a Municipal level, marking this day is a small but essential step in the reconciliation process. It supports a Call to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Call to Action #80 in the Truth and Reconciliation Report states the following:

“We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

Although the Provincial government will ultimately review and decide how this day for reflection will be adopted province-wide, the 12th Council of the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in the 99th Meeting of Council held on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, unanimously supported the following motion:

National Day of Truth & Reconciliation- Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a new federal statutory holiday that provides an opportunity for each public servant to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools. The Finance Administration & Policy Committee recommends Council declare September 30, 2021, as a designated paid holiday and close all Town facilities to provide employees with the opportunity to honor residential school survivors, their families and communities as we stand in solidarity with Indigenous people in our community and nationwide.

Moved by Councillor Baikie and seconded by Councillor Compton Hobbs.

All in favour. Motion carried unanimously.

All Town facilities will be closed Thursday, September 30, 2021. Happy Valley-Goose Bay has one of the largest indigenous populations in the province. We encourage all residents to learn about residential schools and reflect on the histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples.

“One of the things the TRC is attempting to do is to establish a national memory about residential schools so that, in four or five generations, no one can say, ‘This never happened.'” – The Honourable Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

https://nctr.ca/about/history-of-the-trc/trc-website/

#EveryChildMatters