Calgary church will repaint its doors following consultation with Indigenous communities
Calgary’s Grace Presbyterian Church was one of nearly a dozen churches in the city vandalized with red paint last year, following the discovery of unmarked graves across the country containing the remains of children who attended residential schools.
At the time the church decided to keep the paint splattered across its doors to open a conversation about the importance of truth and reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous people.
“When the church stood up and said, yes, this happened, yes, we understand, yes, we have work to do, that changed the narrative,” said Reverend Tony Snow, Indigenous Minister to the United Church of Canada.
In August, the church says a pair of vandals once again targeted the church, by painting over the red paint on its doors with a tan coloured paint.
Reverend Jake Van Pernis says he was disheartened by the attempt to erase the conversation about the reason behind the red paint.
He says following discussions, the church will repaint the doors to their original colour, which was a difficult decision.
“It was one that we took on prayerfully,” he said.
“It wasn't one that we just sort of rushed to. We did have ceremony and prayer before we entered into this and shared again that we still have this responsibility. And we're not shying away from the work of truth and reconciliation.”
Van Pernis says the church is working with an Indigenous artist to commemorate the significant event, to show it is committed to concrete change.
Paint left on doors of Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary
“When this happened, we recognized that hey, maybe we need to step back and think through this,” he said.
“And so we thought a commemorative marker of some sort would be a way of reminding us of the journey that we’re on.”
ORANGE SHIRT DAY
Canada will celebrate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation September 30th, also known as Orange Shirt Day.
It is a day the church plans to remember by hosting the Stardale Women’s Group to discuss the impact of residential schools and their legacy.
The group will air their film The Road which speaks to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The event goes Friday from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit natural gas levies to the federal government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.