Today is the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. CHMA staff and programmers are taking the day for reflection, but to that end, we are bringing you some programming to help you reflect on truth and reconciliation.
At 9am, noon and 4pm, we’ll bring you a special one hour program produced by Orbyt Media for the Downie-Wenjack Fund. The program is called A Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and features the voices of Indigenous people across Canada.
Then at 6pm tonight, we bring you a conversation hosted by Sarah Midanik, the president of the Downie-Wenjack Fund, exploring the significance of September 30th, what it means for reconciliation in Canada, and how people can participate meaningfully. The voices in that conversation are:
- Bob Watts, Former Interim Executive Director of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- Harriet Visitor, Chanie Wenjack’s Niece and Downie-Wenjack Fund Board Member
- Blair Cunningham, Orange Shirt Society Board Member
- Hillory Tenute, Interim Executive Director, Canadian Roots Exchange
The leaders of three of New Brunswick’s largest Indigenous communities have written to the Higgs government to express their “profound disappointment with its failure to recognize September 30th as a provincial day of remembrance.” While many towns and institutions—including Sackville and Mount Allison University—will be closed for National Truth and Reconciliation Day, New Brunswick’s schools and provincial government offices will remain open. The Chiefs of Elsipogtog, Esgenoopetitij and Neqotkuk are calling for more action from the Higgs government, “specifically an in-depth investigation at the sites of New Brunswick’s day schools.”
The Wolastoqey Nations in New Brunswick released a statement Wednesday extending their “immense gratitude to those who have made the decision to close and observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th.” The creation of a statutory holiday to honour survivors, their families and communities is number 80 on the list of 94 Calls to Action first issued by the Truth and Reconcilliation commission at the end of 2015. The Wolastoqey nations have prepared information kits for allies who wish to either begin to understand or further their understanding of Indigenous and Canadian history. You can also find further resources at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
In COVID-19 news:
84 new cases of COVID-19 were reported yesterday in New Brunswick, with 27 cases in Zone 1. 40 people are in hospital with the disease, and 16 are in an intensive care unit. 57 people have died from COVID-19 in the province. Three of those people were residents of the Drew Nursing Home in Sackville.
In the past week, over 11,000 New Brunswickers got their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and just under 10,000 got a second dose. 71% of the population have now been fully vaccinated, or 79.8% of the population 12 and over.
Vaccination clinics continue today at the Corner Drug Store in Sackville. From 2pm to 6pm today, the Corner Drug is offering walk-in appointments for the Pfizer vaccine. The Guardian also offers Moderna vaccines each week for those seeking a second dose.
