City of Brantford to observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

BRANTFORD, ON – On Thursday, September 30, the City of Brantford joins communities across Canada to recognize and observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The statutory holiday was created to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis survivors, their families and communities, and to provide the important opportunity to remember the victims of the Residential School System and to reflect on the painful lasting impacts on Residential School survivors, their families and Indigenous communities.  

The new statutory holiday on September 30 coincides with Orange Shirt Day, inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad, a former residential school student who had her orange shirt taken away on her first day at residential school. Wearing orange on September 30 honours and remembers the experiences and loss of Indigenous children who were placed in residential schools.

City Tributes

City of Brantford community recreation staff along with Healthy Kids Brantford Brant are offering Indigenous-themed programming at Kids Night Out on Wednesday, September 29 at Doug Snooks Community Centre and Thursday, September 30 at Woodman Park Community Park. Pre-registration is required at Brantford RecConnect online. The Harmony Square fountain as well as the Sanderson Centre marquee will be lit up in orange to recognize National Day for Truth and Recognition. Residents are invited to expand their knowledge further at a free performance the Sanderson Centre on October 6, 2021 to see Tanya Talaga in Truth Before Reconciliation. As an investigative journalist, Tanya’s acclaimed book focuses on the lives of Indigenous students over a quarter century in Thunder Bay, Ont. She delves into the history of the community that has come to represent Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities.

Earlier this year, Brantford City Council approved a series of tributes to demonstrate the City’s solidarity with Indigenous communities as our nation continues to mourn the discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential school sites in Canada. To honour the victims of the residential school system, survivors and their families, the City implemented a series of tributes including:  

• Dedicated spaces of reflection and healing featuring orange light displays in Victoria Park and Children’s Memorial Garden throughout the summer.
• Flags at all City facilities will be lowered to half-mast on the first day of each month since July 1 and continue until the end of the calendar year in memory of the children who lost their lives at residential schools across Canada.
• A donation of $100,000 to the Woodland Cultural Centre’s Save the Evidence Campaign.
• Over 200 City of Brantford employees participated in a virtual tour of the Woodland Cultural Centre
• Development of an ongoing community education and awareness campaign that will be informed by Indigenous educational and cultural programming.

To continue moving forward in a spirit of healing and reconciliation, the City of Brantford recognizes the importance of ensuring current and future generations of Canadians understand the impact the Residential School system has had on so many in our region and across Canada. Every child matters.

City Services on September 30^th

Some City services will operate on different schedules on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Brantford City Hall, the Customer Contact Centre and 220 Colborne Street will close on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. and reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021. Ontario Works Brantford Brant monthly payments will be available on September 29, 2021.Brantford Transit will operate on a modified schedule from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on September 30, 2021. Brantford Lift will run with regular service from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Recycling and waste collection will not be affected. The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre remains open with regular hours.

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Media Contact:

Heather Carvalho, Acting Manager, Communications and Community Engagement
City of Brantford | Office: 519-759-4150 ext. 5741 | hcarvalho@brantford.ca

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