National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

This federal statutory holiday was created through legislative amendments made by Parliament.

Flags & Illumination

To mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation flags will be Half-masted at all Quinte West municipal buildings and spaces on September 30.

To honour the Survivors, their families and communities the Veteran Skyway Bridge will be illuminated in orange on September 30.

Truth and Reconciliation every day

The City of Quinte West is committed to honouring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action as part of the City’s commitment to building a healthy, vibrant community, where everyone can feel safe and included.

By working toward reconciliation, the City takes responsibility for its role as environmental stewards of this place and for our obligations to respect, honour, and sustain these lands and the natural resources contained within.

Land Acknowledgement

Traditional land acknowledgement statements are a reminder that we all must continue to strengthen the relationships and understanding between non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples.

In 2021, the City of Quinte West adopted the use of a traditional land acknowledgement as a part of the opening remarks at all Council and Committee meetings.

City of Quinte West Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that Quinte West is on Indigenous land that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples from the beginning. As settlers and immigrants, we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land for thousands of years. Long before today, there have been Indigenous peoples who have been the stewards of this place.

In particular, we acknowledge the traditional territories of the Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation. This territory is covered by numerous treaties.

We recognize and deeply appreciate their historic connection to this place. We also recognize the contributions of Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community in particular, and our province and country as a whole.

As settlers, this recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our community.

Quinte West Public Library

Read the Quinte West Public Library’s Statement of Acknowledgement and Respect for Indigenous Peoples Policy.

As part of this policy, the Quinte West Public Library (QWPL) provides collections relating to Indigenous cultures, languages, and peoples, including books, audio and video materials.

QWPL collections include titles by and about First Nation communities, and include titles presented in the First Nation Communities Read program. QWPL teen and adult materials also include First Nations and Metis graphic novels, and a selection of Indigenous history and culture multimedia.

Resources

Local

• Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services
• Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte: KENHTÈ:KE KANYEN’KEHÁ:KA

Support

• Hope for Wellness Helpline for Indigenous Peoples
• Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program
• Talk4Healing – a Culturally Grounded Helpline for Indigenous Women
• National Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419 (24 hours a day, nation-wide)

Learning

• Canada’s History: A Conversation about Truth and Reconciliation in the Classroom
• CBC Unreserved Radio Show
• Discover Indigenous Culture along the TransCanada Trail
• Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund
• Indigenous eduction in Ontario
• Indigenous history
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
• Native Land
• Orange Shirt Day
• Read Books by Indigenous Authors
• Treaties Teaching and Learning Resources
• University of Alberta: Indigenous Canada – Free Online Course

Government

• Government of Canada: National Indigenous History Month
• Government of Ontario: National Day for Truth and ReconciliationTruth and House of Commons of Canada Bill C-15 — An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples