North Bay raises ‘Every Child Matters’ flag ahead of Truth and Reconciliation Day
The City of North Bay raised the ‘Every Child Matters’ flag Thursday afternoon in a ceremony honouring Canada’s survivors and victims of the residential school system.
“We wanted to make sure we showed our respect,” Mayor Al McDonald said.
The flag was raised to a crowd of more than 50 Indigenous people, dignitaries and members of the public who were sporting orange shirts, hats and sweaters. It comes a day before Friday's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Helping McDonald raise the flag was former Nipissing First Nation Chief Marianna Couchie.
Couchie's aunts and uncles all attended residential schools and her father is a survivor of the Spanish Indian Residential School.
She will be reflecting and thinking of him Friday.
“He witnessed a lot of atrocities there," Couchie said.
"He was taught not to be proud of who he was … They ruined his self-esteem there. He was told many times there if he spoke his language that it was the devil's language."
Couchie said that about 30 years ago, she visited the school site with her father to pay respects to those who were forcibly taken from their families and taken to the schools.
She remembered her father telling her of where he believed there were unmarked graves.
“He showed us an area where he thought children were buried," Couchie said.
"It was just outside of the cemetery where that school was. It’s just mind-boggling that in this day and age people still deny what happened.”
She said there’s still along way to go for people to accept the realities of residential school horrors and move forward.
The City of North Bay raised the ‘Every Child Matters’ flag Thursday afternoon in a ceremony honouring Canada’s survivors and victims of the residential school system. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)
“We’ve been so colonized -- even non-Indigenous people have been colonized, too,” she said.
“It’s a day for non-Indigenous Canadians to learn with us and participate with us.”
In 2017, McDonald was asked by the former president of Nipissing University if the city would proclaim the year as Truth and Reconciliation Year. He agreed.
McDonald is calling on all North Bay citizens and Canadians to take a few minutes Friday and either research the history of residential schools or reflect in their own way.
“If you were to understand the history and just even a fraction what I've learned over the last five years, you'd be embarrassed as a Canadian,” McDonald said.
“Treaties weren’t recognized. Stigma and racism happened in our country.”
McDonald remembers the city partnered with First Nation leader George Couchie through a learning-and-accepting process in 2018.
“It hasn’t just been a one-day thing,” he said. “The vast majority of us recognize we have a lot to learn.”
The flag will remain until Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
DEVELOPING Israel targets air defence system in Syria, state news agency says
Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defence unit in southern Syria, causing material damage, state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying Friday.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.