St. Albert public schools recognize residential school victims with Orange Shirt Day
Normally recognized on Sept. 30, Orange Shirt Day is Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
With recent events surrounding the 215 children whose remains were located near Kamloops Residential School last weekend, St. Albert Public schools decided to hold another day to recognize those who suffered.
“Part of it is to keep that conversation going,” Joseph M. Demko assistant principal Monique Waters told CTV.
“We want others to know that we want to remember what’s happened in our history and so our district as whole has decided that this is one small way that we can honour that trauma and honour those that continue to experience trauma from the history of the residential schools in Canada.”
Students at Joseph M. Demko school took part in activities like chalk art, planting an Indigenous Three Sisters Garden, and making peace poles that will be decorated with 215 hand prints.
“Even myself being older I didn’t learn a lot of this in school, it’s only been as an educator in the last few years that I’ve become far more educated about the history of our own country and so I think that is a starting point.”
Contact the Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll-free 1 (800) 721-0066 or 24-hour Crisis Line 1 (866) 925-4419 if you require further emotional support or assistance.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving 'corrective action' for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Air travel is expensive. WestJet wants the government to do more to change that
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
Hundreds have applied for this 'adventurer' job in Banff National Park
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Ottawa police investigating death of a gosling in Kanata
Ottawa police are investigating after someone allegedly stomped on a gosling in Kanata. Police say it appears that Canada geese laid eggs in the area, 'and on May 21, a suspect stomped on one of the hatched babies.'
Treasury Board president urges managers to be flexible on exemptions for new 3-day office mandate
The president of the Treasury Board is standing by the federal government's new hybrid office mandate for federal public servants, but is urging managers to be flexible for staff requiring exemptions.