As the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches with the end of September, local organizations are planning for a string of events to recognize it.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be recognized on Monday, September 30, across Canada, and in Fort Frances, more than a dozen different organizations have joined forces to hold several different events to honour it.
The first of these events will be a flag raising at the Fort Frances Civic Centre on Monday, September 23, 2024. At 11:00 a.m., town staff will raise the Survivor’s Flag following a traditional Anishinaabe opening ceremony. Bill Morrison, Community Relations for Weechi-It-Te-Win Family Services, said that elder Nancy Jones will be conducting the opening ceremony, and that they are expecting a large turnout.
“There’s at least one school coming, and they’re going to be bringing a couple of classes,” Morrison said.
“The town is providing food and refreshments for everybody after.”
The town will be holding a free barbecue for attendees following the official flag raising and proclamation.
Morrison said the ceremony will also feature a flag song presented by singers from several different agencies.
The flag raising will mark the beginning of a week of events to recognize the impacts of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, including the residential school systems. Friday, September 27, 2024 will feature a dinner specifically for Indigenous elders and residential school survivors, to be followed by an open drum social at the Nanicost gym, and Monday, September 30, 2024, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and will feature a sunrise ceremony followed by the Honour Walk from the Point Park baseball diamonds to the St. Marguerite’s Indian Residential School Monument. Once the walk has concluded, Grand Council Treaty #3 and Agency One will be holding a pow wow.
For more information about next week’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events, see the Wednesday, September 25, 2024, edition of the Fort Frances Times.
