Hundreds of shoes were laid out in front of Grande Prairie City Hall on May 31, to honour the 215 children who were confirmed to have been buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School (Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP staff)

By Abby Zieverink

National Truth and Reconciliation Day

GPCSD to recognize National Truth and Reconciliation Day

Sep 14, 2021 | 4:33 PM

The Grande Prairie and District Catholic School board will recognize September 30 as a statutory holiday.

This is an effort to do its part for reconciliation and for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Board Chair Michael Ouellette believes this day is meant to allow time for reflection for staff and students.

“We have always said that you can hear it in everything that we speak about is reconciliation, and this is part of showing the reconciliation, and this is a part of showing the reconciliation path that we have to take.”

As September 30 will be a day off for staff and students in the division, Ouellette says the week leading up to the day will also be set to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day, similar to Remembrance Day.

“Every child knows all about Remembrance Day and what it is with the wars and stuff like that,” says Ouellette. “We’re going to make September 30 as strong as that in our schools.”

“We are going to keep it front and center, so it is going to be a very important day, and it is going to continue throughout this district, every year. It’s a very important day, and we are going to make it very important.”

Ouellette says this means, Friday, September 17, which was originally planned as a PD Day, will now shift to having students in the classroom.

“It was something that we had to do, and it changes people’s schedules and stuff like that but, it’s the right decision.”

“I just go back and say to myself every time that I don’t know what it’s like as a parent to have my child taken away from me. It’s so strong in my beliefs and as the board voted for, and I think we definitely made the right decision.”