Today I lift up survivors who have sacrificed so much by sharing their stories in order for people across Canada to know the truth about residential schools.
For more than 150 years, over one hundred and fifty thousand children were kidnapped from their families and communities and placed in residential schools; many never returned home.
To those for whom today is a difficult day, for whom today brings up personal and intergenerational trauma, I send all my tenderness, love, admiration, and compassion.
To everyone engaging in community gatherings, take this day to learn and listen to survivors, but don’t let it end there. Take all that you learn and commit yourself to reconciliation through real action.
I send my love and support to all survivors of the residential school system, their families and their communities. May you be wrapped in love and tenderness on this very important day.