Thousands of Calgarians gather on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Calgarians gathered to remember, educate and listen on Friday for the country's second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
About a dozen events in and around the city — many hosted by Treaty 7 elders — marked the day.
The largest gathering was the City of Calgary's Orange Shirt Day event at Fort Calgary, where roughly 2,000 people attended to listen to Indigenous speakers.
"Calgarians are now recognizing the importance of remembering the children that perished at Indian residential schools," said Terry Poucette with the city’s Indigenous relations office.
"Today is a good reminder to make reconciliation a part of their every day."
The event included a drum circle, traditional dancing and singing, and was back-dropped by a large flag containing the names of children known to have died at residential schools.
"And we've left a blank school because there are children who have not been found yet," Poucette said.
"I'm wanting Calgarians to better understand the history and to recognize the contributions of Indigenous people to this country."
The event focused on young Canadians.
Not only were residential school attendees commemorated, but an emphasis was placed on the growing Indigenous youth population in Canada.
Poucette said committing to acting on reconciliation is especially important for the next generation.
About a dozen events in and around Calgary — many hosted by Treaty 7 elders — marked the country's second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The city's second-largest event was held at Prince's Island Park.
The Colouring It Forward Reconciliation Society and the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth hosted the fourth annual Pokaiks Commemorative Walk — also called the Orange Shirt Day Walk.
Calgarians marked the day walking through the island and remembering the lives that were lost to colonialism.
"During the walk, we are doing some healing together, and people are walking to show support for positive change," Colouring It Forward's Diana Frost told CTV News.
"I'm hoping people will come away realizing that it is possible to do something towards truth and reconciliation together."
The city illuminated several of its landmarks orange in honour of the day, including Olympic Plaza, the TELUS Spark Science Centre, the Reconciliation Bridge and the Calgary Tower.
Additionally, flags on municipal buildings were lowered to half-mast.
Council has committed to 43 calls to action listed in the White Goose Flying report. The report is available through the city's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.