TORONTO, Kan. – The head of an Ontario First Nation says that National Truth and Reconciliation Day is about the truth, loss and strength of people who survive.
Credit First Nation Chief R. Stacey Laforme of Mississaugas spoke at a ceremony in Toronto to mark the day honoring indigenous survivors and children who disappeared from the residential school system.
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He says the pain, pain and pain of losses in residential schools is strong.
But he says he is hopeful for the future because people understand that the lives lost were those of children in this country.
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Prime Minister Doug Ford attended the ceremony and said recent discoveries of remains at former residential school sites underscore the need for Ontarians to learn about the lasting damage to the system.
Ford says the day is an opportunity to reflect, strengthen relationships with indigenous peoples, and play an active role in reconciliation.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
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