Grace Church forming relationships with Indigenous people after being targeted with red paint this summer
The staff at Grace Church Calgary held a steps toward truth, healing and reconciliation event on Sunday afternoon, lamenting about the nation’s history surrounding residential schools.
Dozens of Calgarians were in attendance, listening to stories and crying out for peace and justice for indigenous people in Canada.
Grace Church was one of the dozens of Alberta churches vandalized with red paint this summer, following the discovery of remains at former residential school sites including in Kamloops, B.C.
“When we had the red paint splattered on our doors, we recognize that we didn’t have really great relationships with Indigenous people,” said Reverend Jake Van Pernis.
“So we had to form them and recognize that we were going to make some mistakes in those relationships but be brave enough to risk making those mistakes and asking for forgiveness to continue moving forward.”
Shirley Shingoose Dufour is a residential school survivor.
She shared her story on the steps of the Presbyterian church saying she was put in the system at age 5, leaving a decade later.
“All those years that I was in that residential school, there was a lot of damage done to me,” said Shingoose Dufour.
“So I had to go to psychologists, I’ve had to go see therapists, I’ve had to see pastors, I’ve had to get prayer.”
Mayor Naheed Nenshi also spoke at the event saying there is still a lot of work left to do to bring forth a sense of reconciliation and healing.
“A lot of people's hearts are broken now, but broken hearts are also open hearts and this is a chance to be able to work together to figure out what to do,” said Nenshi.
Grace Church says it now does land acknowledgements at its services and tries to foster budding relationships with Indigenous people on a path to reconciliation.
The church says it decided to keep the splattered paint across its doors to serve as a daily reminder it still has a lot of work left to do.
Canada will recognize for the first time the national day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, as a federal statutory holiday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.