File photo of the OKI sign outside of Lethbridge City Hall. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

City of Lethbridge details plans for next month’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Aug 30, 2021 | 11:35 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new statutory holiday will be marked across Canada next month.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on September 30. The City of Lethbridge has unveiled its plans to recognize the day. On that day, facilities operated by the city will be closed, including City Hall.

Lethbridge mayor Chris Spearman said over the last four years, the city has put a lot of work into its truth and reconciliation efforts, including supporting the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee (RLAC) and working alongside the committee on various initiatives.

The mayor commented that, “2021 has been a monumental year in terms of understanding of the issues and the discovery of the mass graves has really woken up the country.”

“I think we want to say, in the city of Lethbridge that we take truth and reconciliation seriously and we’re going to take this day to reflect. We’re going to ask our employees to attend the events that recognize truth and reconciliation and our relationship with our Indigenous peoples.”

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Spearman said the day needs to be taken seriously and September 30 should not just be taken as another day off from work for many Canadians.

“You always want people to actually honour the day and to become more understanding and more compassionate, whether it’s Remembrance Day or any other day, but I’d say this year, most importantly when it comes to truth and reconciliation, this would be a day to really begin to understand and make a difference.”

READ MORE: Alberta commits $8 million to locate and honour victims at residential school sites

Perry Stein, the Indigenous Relations Advisor for the City of Lethbridge said September 30 will be a day where residents should reflect and have conservations about the hardships faced by those impacted by the many residential schools that operated across the country, including in southern Alberta.

He noted that ahead of the September 30 holiday, the City of Lethbridge will recognize its fifth annual Reconciliation Week, from September 20 to 24.

“There will be a number of events all around the community, almost the entire month of September and we’ll have some special events for September 30, and we’ll be excited to share those details in the next couple of weeks.”

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Stein said for Reconciliation Week, Lethbridge City Hall will be lit up “in the Reconciliation colours” and in orange for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day.

“This isn’t about trying to demonstrate to anybody else what our commitment is, this is about us showing up in a space that’s important to us. So, we’re putting our values out there, showing that truth and reconciliation is important, and we hope that many others operate similarly.”

Stein added that City Hall will be lit up in red for the recently announced Sisters in Spirit Day on October 4.

READ MORE: City officially makes October 4 “Sisters in Spirit Day”

He said, “I think the City of Lethbridge has always been a leader in Canada in not only recognizing these important conversations, like truth and reconciliation or the experiences of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada, so this is just a continuation of that.”

“Really this day [Sept. 30] is about honouring and if we think about the October 4 proclamation as well, these are days to honour victims of genocide, these are days to honour Indigenous peoples in our community and the legacies of colonization that continue to impact community members to this day.”

Amanda Scout is a City of Lethbridge employee and member of the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee.

She said, “I think it’s a day to honour the [residential school] survivors, honours the ones that were lost and for everyone just to kind of reflect on what happened and how it still impacts us today.”

On the City of Lethbridge taking the day off September 30, Scout said, “I think it shows great leadership and it’s just a part of the work we’ve been doing for the past few years.”

Residents, in addition to holding conversations with friends and family on reconciliation, are invited to wear orange shirts September 30 as another way to mark the day, which is also recognized as Orange Shirt Day.

Additionally, the City of Lethbridge is set to unveil new flagpoles outside of City Hall next month. The Blackfoot Confederacy flag will be permanently flown outside of the building once the flagpole installation is completed.

New flagpoles are being installed outside of Lethbridge City Hall to permanently fly the Blackfoot Confederacy flag. (Lethbridge News Now)

Earlier this year, Lethbridge City Council approved the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Recommendations and Work Plan.

READ MORE: Council approves MMIWG $435,000 work plan

Lethbridge is located on the lands of the Blackfoot people and is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region Three.