What the multi-coloured lights on the Sudbury police's Tree of Hope mean
It was a solemn but also celebratory moment at times outside the Greater Sudbury Police Service Sunday night as a "Tree of Hope" was lit at the corner of Brady and Minto Streets.
The tree was lit at exactly 7 p.m., in solidarity with four other police services -- UCCM Anishnaabe, Timmins, Barrie, and Thunder Bay -- as a way to honour missing, murdered, Indigenous women and girls along with two-spirited individuals.
"This is really a special evening and it's an evening about hope," Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen said. "It certainly acknowledges the tragedy that exists currently but is also a real commitment to moving together and really acting on those recommendations from the truth and Reconciliation report."
The Tree of Hope initiative first started with the Thunder Bay Police Service three years ago.
Pedersen said he's hopeful this will serve as a reminder to Sudburians who see it.
"It's not lost on me that this is a time where we celebrate the festival of lights," he said. "This is a time where we put Christmas lights up and this tree is up so maybe we can check our privileges and understand not everyone gets to enjoy what we get to enjoy but we can move forward and have a better future."
The tree will be lit up with three colours. Orange to honour the thousands of victims lost as a result of residential schools, red to honour the thousands of MMIWG2S, and then a line of blue to represent the role police played in furthering systemic racism and oppression.
"We're in this together. We want to work collaboratively to come up with solutions and we want to learn from terrible tragedy and move forward and we're committed to that," Pedersen said.
"It's important to acknowledge that this is a start and there's much more work to be done," said Craig Nootchtai, chief of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. "I just want to say that we need to continue our support for our friends in the MMIWG2S community."
Nootchtai praised the Greater Sudbury Police Service for some of the collaborative work its been doing to carry on the conversation.
He talked to the crowd about how the system has failed Indigenous women and two-spirited individuals, saying much of that has to do with some of the inter-generational trauma they suffered as a result of residential schools.
"It's not just the adults but also our children that have been affected, so we need to make sure we're addressing that as well," Nootchtai said.
"It's heartbreaking for me because four years ago I was in Regina and they brought in families who have gone through a missing family member," said Wahnapitae First Nation Chief Larry Roque. "They brought family after family. It's frustrating and it's maddening but at least now we're getting it out there more."
Roque is hopeful this will get recognized as the serious problem that it is, adding women, children and grandchildren are sacred to Indigenous culture.
"They're the future," he said.
The evening also saw a sacred fire with ashes from the original fire in Thunder Bay, drumming and smudging.
The lights will remain up for the entire holiday season.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
Edmonton Oilers set to make lineup changes for Game 4 of Western Conference final
The Edmonton Oilers are shaking things up. Down 2-1 in the NHL's Western Conference final to the Dallas Stars, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed there would be lineup changes for tonight's Game 4.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
With DNA break, police ID victim in decades-old Newfoundland case
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.