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Grande Prairie residents gather to honour and remember the 215 school children found in an unmarked mass grave in Kamloops. Photo Credit: Shane Clausing
By Shane Clausing
National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Events happening throughout Grande Prairie for the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Sep 30, 2021 | 7:00 AM

Several events are planned for September 30 in Grande Prairie to mark both Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The majority of the day is being organized primarily by the Grande Prairie Aboriginal Circle of Services.

Shawna Livesey with the Grande Prairie Aboriginal Circle of Services says the organization has been able to partner with several other community organizations to host events.

“Veterans Memorial Gardens is having its event at 11:30 a.m., a smudge ceremony and lunch by donation. The Circle of Indigenous Students – Grande Prairie Regional College will start their online event at 12 p.m. and that’s over Zoom.”

Following the early day events, residents throughout Grande Prairie are encouraged to head down to Muskoseepi Park for a run/walk being put on by the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre.

Miranda Laroche and says their goal is to help bring awareness to the impact the residential schooling system has had on Indigenous Canadians throughout the region.

“We’re going to have opening remarks from our President Leonard Auger and opening prayers from our Elder Angie Crear,” she said.

Laroche says the Honour Song will also play at the event before participants head out on the walk along the reservoir.

“During the walk/run, there will be signs that will be placed along the trail, and it will show all of the residential schools, the places all across Canada where the residential schools were,” she explained.

In honour of the children found in residential school unmarked graves across the country, Laroche says each sign on the trail will have a number on it to create a visual representation of the children whose lives were taken too soon.

“For example, the Kamloops residential school, it will say 215, to honour the children that were found,” said Laroche.

Once the walk/run is complete, Laroche says those that have registered in advance will receive a medal. You do not have to be registered in order to participate in the walk.

After the walk, everyone is invited to head down to the Muskoseepi Park Amphitheatre where a two-hour ceremony will take place, as well as a free BBQ.

“We’ll have a few speakers from a few survivors so that is something that we really wanted to do this year was to have people speak about their experiences and speak about their time that they’ve gone through and how they’ve worked through it and just send those messages to everyone in the community what that was like for them,” explained Livesey.

Livesey says there will also be art displays, vendors, and a story walk.

She adds it will be an emotional time hearing the speakers but should also be a fun-filled and educational day.

Livesey tells EverythingGP this will be a chance for the community to learn what truth and reconciliation means.

“This is the first time that we’ve seen in history that we get that national recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and what exactly that means for Canada and for our local people as well and what we can work on together.”

Livesey says it is nice to be heard. Her grandparents went to residential schools and there are small steps but good steps being taken after the Calls for Action were put out several years ago.

A full schedule of events can be found on the Orange Shirt Day Grande Prairie Facebook page.

by Shane Clausing