City employees to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The city’s decision to acknowledge the new holiday comes a few weeks after councillor Tony Head voiced his concerns in a passionate speech about the city not doing enough to carry out the commission’s recommendations.

In an interview last month with paNOW, Head said, “as a city with over 40 per cent Indigenous population, it is necessary that we implement the calls to action that are specifically geared towards municipal governments to ensure we do whats best for Prince Albert always. I understand we have done some work towards achieving some of those calls to action and I do look forward to that report from administration to find ways to build on what we’ve already done.”

This announcement comes on the same day the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) called for the Saskatchewan government to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a provincial statutory holiday.

“The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an opportunity for all of us to reflect upon the tragedy of the residential school system, to honour the victims and survivors of residential schools, and to commit to reconciliation,” said SFL president Lori Johb. “This year’s discovery of thousands of children’s graves at residential school sites across the country, including 751 unmarked graves at Cowessess First Nation, has been a wake up call for all of us.”

Jobh has written a letter to Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Don Morgan urging the government to honour its own commitments to reconciliation and pass legislation to recognize Sept. 30 as a provincial holiday.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Derek Craddock

City employees to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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