Today marks Truth and Reconciliation Day, and an Indigenous Ontario politician is proposing for it to be a province-wide holiday, rather than just a federal one.
New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa, a representative of the northwestern riding of Kiiwetinoong, hopes for Ontario to follow the federal government’s lead, The Canadian Press reported on Monday.
“It’s always First Nations who take the day off and do their thing and go reconcile, but I think it’s important for other Ontarians to have that day off to acknowledge, to reflect, to mourn, to learn of the real history of residential school,” Mamakwa said in an interview with the publication.
Mamakwa, who is Anishinaabe and a member of Kingfisher Lake First Nation, is also a survivor of a residential school. He is the sole First Nations representative in Queen’s Park.
The MPP plans to introduce a private member’s bill in November to push for a provincial holiday, the Canadian Press reported.
Currently, it’s recognized as a statutory holiday for workers in eight provinces and territories, including British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut.
WHAT IS TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION DAY?
The federal statutory holiday has been observed annually on Sept. 30 since 2021. Intended to be a day of reflection of the impact residential school systems had on Indigenous communities, it serves as a reminder of the abuse suffered by Inuit, First Nations and Métis people at hundreds of state- and church-run institutions across Canada.
Some 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were forced to attend residential schools, the last of which closed in 1996. It’s estimated that around 6,000 Indigenous children died at the institutions, but records are incomplete. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has recorded the names of more than 4,000 who died in Canada between 1831 and 1996.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is also colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day, an initiative which began in 2013 and inspired by Phyllis Webstad’s story of having the orange shirt her grandmother gave her stripped away upon arrival at a residential school in 1973, at the age of six. The shirt was never returned, and is now often used as a symbol of the forced assimilation of Indigenous children that the school system enforced.
On Monday, ceremonies and educational activities are expected to be held across the country to promote awareness and understanding of the history and legacy of these schools.
WHAT’S OPEN AND CLOSED ON TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION DAY?
All banks and financial institutions are closed on Monday and will resume regular hours on Tuesday.
GO Transit, TTC and most regional transit services are operating on a regular schedule today.
As a federal statutory holiday, all government of Canada offices and buildings will be closed. Canada Post (no mail delivery on Monday), the Canada Revenue Agency, passport offices and Service Canada will reopen again on Tuesday.
Most grocery stores will be open on Monday, but it’s best to check your local store’s hours .
Most major malls and shopping centres will be open on Monday.
The majority of LCBOs will be closed Monday morning and open doors at noon, and resume regular hours on Tuesday. The Beer Store’s hours will not be affected.
The following attractions in and near Toronto will be closed:
- Royal Ontario Museum
- Canada’s Wonderland
- The Art Gallery of Ontario
- Museum of Contemporary Art
