Subscribe
Back to Search
Kawartha Lakes – To honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this year, Kawartha Lakes hosted flag raising ceremony at City Hall on Friday September 27, 2024.
Mayor Doug Elmslie, along with members of Council, were joined by Chief Knott from Curve Lake First Nation, members of local police services, community members and City staff for the ceremony.
“Today is a day of remembrance to honour the indigenous people affected by the residential schools system. This is a day to reflect on the trauma endured and the lives lost and the lasting impact of the abuse they experienced,” said Mayor Elmslie.
Following the raising the flag, Chief Knott honoured the crowd with a powerful message about the trauma caused by the Residential School system and the importance of every child.
“Thank you for being here with me this morning. It’s a pleasure and honour to be here with you again this morning. I am enjoying every moment of it as we realize and understand the purpose of the orange shirts we wear and to remember the little children who went to residential schools and the hardships that they bared at that point in time,” said Chief Knott.
Chef Knott’s powerful speech came with a reminder to those have children to “make sure you go home and hug those children as tightly as you can, they are the joy, the heartfelt ones of today, and they are the ones that are going to flourish, much like the plants that surround us in nature.”
As Kawartha Lakes Councillor for Ward 3, Mike Perry who is Métis, noted, “This day we reflect on the horrors of residential schools, how they happened, and how they’re still haunt us. But I still carry hope through all of the orange T-shirts I’ve been seeing this year, as well as all the activities to learn about Indigenous peoples and colonialism both past and present. Clearly, we can do what’s needed in the human spirit of truth, love, and generosity to live together better moving forward to honour our ancestors and for our children on this land. We’re all in this together."
Today, the Every Child Matters flag at City Hall has been lowered to half-mast and the lights surrounding the building will be lit in orange, to honour the children that never made it home.
Here are a few different ways to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday September 30, 2024:
- Tune into the 90-minute commemorative gathering: Remembering The Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The multilingual event will be broadcast live from Parliament Hill, starting at 3pm (ET) on September 30, 2024. The broadcast can be found on APTN and APTN Languages.
- Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website.
- All Kawartha Lakes Public Library Branches will have displays featuring First Nations, Métis, and Inuit authors. All library branches will be offering a beaded necklace activity for kids, plus an Orange Shirt Day magnet making station for adults on Saturday September 28. Children and Adult Talking Circles for Truth and Reconciliation will be held at 4pm and 6pm respectively. For more information on ‘Indigenous Reads and Resources” visit the Kawartha Lakes Public Library website.
- Wear orange and take time to reflect and learn more about residential school, the Indigenous children who never returned home, and the lived experiences of the survivors, their families, and communities.
- Once the flag has been raised, drive by City Hall and take a moment to reflect.
- Visit the TRC Bobcaygeon website www.trcbobcaygeon.org to learn more about what colonialism and Reconciliation mean in Canada and locally in Kawartha Lakes.
- Attend the Truth and Reconciliation Community Bobcaygeon and the Mishkodeh Centre for Indigenous Knowledge, Bobcaygeon Remembrance Ceremony at the Boyd Museum in Bobcaygeon, followed by a walk to the Bobcaygeon Beach Park Friendship Garden.
- Read the City’s Land Acknowledgement and First Nations policies.
- Read the Truth and Reconciliation Report.
- Visit the Peterborough and District Wapiti Métis Council website.
- Visit Curve Lake First Nation website.
- Check out the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Canada website.
- Find out more about Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada's national Inuit organization.
- Visit the Government of Canada website for resources for people of all ages to learn about Indigenous cultures.
- 30 -
Contact Us