Walk of Sorrow returns to the north
The ‘Walk of Sorrow’ is passing through the north once again, to continue raising awareness of the lasting impacts of the residential school system and call for action.
Patricia Ballantyne is picking up where she left off last year and wanted to stop at communities she visited previously, to promote healing.
Last year's inaugural ‘Walk of Sorrow’ brought Patricia Ballantyne and her supporters from Saskatchewan to Ottawa. This time she wants to meet even more survivors while supporting those she has met along the way.
“Reminding them that we are still here and we're never going away, until our time has come,” said Ballantyne.
She says these ceremonies encourage ongoing healing and ensure that the conversation stays alive.
Seeing how the papal visit caused people's trauma to resurfaced, Ballantyne said she realized she had to keep walking.
"There's so much grief out there that still needs to be talked about and so much anger that still needs to be worked on."
She shared her experience attending a residential school from age four to 14 and invited others to join.
In Timmins Friday, a local elder said the opening prayer and says the ceremony was comforting.
"I heard myself, almost the same story that I went through and these stories that we hear from each other, you know, it's empowering us. It's helping us to find the courage to move forward and know that life, life is good," said Annie Metatawabin, another residential school survivor.
Ballantyne's return to Timmins also gave people who didn't feel comfortable attending last year a chance to be among others.
"To be here and know that there's other people going through the same thing. I think last year I isolated but this year, I'm feeling very connected to community and healing in a different way. It's just a reminder that there's always people around us, we're always connected, so i'm very grateful and honoured to be here," said Kristin Murray, Timmins’ deputy-mayor, at the event.
This is why Ballantyne says she wants to keep coming back to these communities as she journeys across Canada.
"The healing process doesn't take a month, a summer, it takes a lifetime."
After walking to Halifax, she wants to walk to British Columbia next year and then northern Canada the year after.
Ballantyne says the ‘Walk of Sorrow’ is helping her heal and hopes it's allowing other survivors to either begin or push forward on their paths.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.