Victoria/Ottawa – The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be enshrined in B.C. law to honour the strength and resilience of residential school survivors and remember the children who never came home.
This new provincial statutory day of commemoration responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action No. 80, which called on the federal government to establish a holiday to honour survivors, their families and communities.
If passed ( and expected to pass) , British Columbia will join Canada, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon as jurisdictions that have designated September 30 as a statutory holiday.
Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon: The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 is a day to acknowledge the wrongdoings of the past as we strengthen our relationship with Indigenous people and take meaningful action toward reconciliation. Today (February 7) in Legislature we introduced Bill 2 – Truth and Reconciliation Day Act, 2023 to implement this important day of observance as a provincial statutory holiday in British Columbia.
