What does reconciliation mean to you?
That’s the theme of this year’s Truth and Reconciliation Day walk, to be held on the Semiahmoo Peninsula.
For the third year in a row, the city of White Rock will be marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Saturday, Sept. 30, which was made a statutory holiday in B.C. earlier this year.
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“Semiahmoo First Nation invites the community – individuals, families, and youth – for a walk and activities in Semiahmoo Park,” reads the city’s website.
Beginning at Grand Chief Bernard Robert Charles Plaza, the walk will commence at 11 a.m. Residents will make their way to Semiahmoo Park, where there will be speakers and activities until 2 p.m., according to the city’s website.
Youth speakers and dancers from the Semiahmoo First Nation will share time with the crowd. In addition, there will be a drum group, a kids’ activity station, face painting, complimentary bannock and chili and an Indigenous artisan marketplace.
The first 100 youth present at the Plaza on the day will also get a free orange shirt. Shirts will be on sale for $20 that Saturday. They are also available to purchase in advance at White Rock Community Centre.
Orange Shirt Day, also Sept. 30, was created to honour survivors of residential schools and their and their family members’ healing, with the slogan Every Child Matters.
“The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30 opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind,” reads the Orange Shirt Society’s website.