The Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford and Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford released a statement to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and acknowledged what they described as the “painful legacy” of the residential school system.
The statement read: “As Ontarians, it is important that we continue to deepen our collective understanding, to honour those who survived and remember the thousands of children who did not make it home.”
The federal statutory holiday, which is in its fourth year, was established to honour the around 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children that were forced into over 130 government-funded and church-run residential schools in Canada.
According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report released in 2015, around 6,000 children died in those schools between the 1870s and 1997. Meanwhile, many think that the number is likely underreported. The Commission proposed commemorating the day as a nationwide holiday as part of its 94 recommendations included in the report.
While talking about the day, Ford tweeted: “The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important reminder of the terrible legacy of the residential school system and its impact on thousands of Indigenous children and families across Ontario. It’s also a chance to learn from that legacy and recommit to true reconciliation, building a better future in partnership with First Nations.”
