West Nipissing is closing all municipal facilities on Friday, September 30th, to mark the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This includes the municipal office, the community and recreation centre and the Sturgeon Falls landfill.
To recognize the day, an Every Child Matters flag will be raised at the municipal office and the lights at the West Nipissing Power Generation dam will be illuminated in orange, to acknowledge Orange Shirt Day, which also falls on September 30th.
“We encourage everyone in the community to wear an orange shirt” on Friday, the municipality explained in a release, “and to actively learn and reflect on the meaning of this day.”
“Reconciliation is an action,” the municipality emphasized, and urged people to “engage and learn about Canada’s colonial history and the legacy and impact of residential schools.”
The municipality also reminds residents that if purchasing an orange shirt, “it’s important to support an Indigenous creator, shop, or vendor who donates the process to an Indigenous cause or organization.”
West Nipissing has put together a list of such vendors on its website, along with some educational resources.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
