The Town of Grand Bay-Westfield is consulting with community indigenous leaders to provide a thoughtful and meaningful response on Canada Day to the recent discoveries in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. The Town wants to recognize the injustices suffered by the Indigenous peoples of Canada, some of which include:
- The executions of the followers of Louis Riel and Louis Riel,
- The high incarceration rates of aboriginal men,
- The missing and murdered aboriginal women,
- The residential school system resulting in:
- The separation of children from their families,
- The children having their names changed,
- The physical, emotional, and sexual abuse suffered by the children,
- The anonymous and unknown graves many are buried in, and
- The resulting broken people, families, communities and culture.
Aspects of Canada Day at the Brundage Point River Centre will change, including cancellation of the musical act and BBQ and the postponement of the Scavenger Hunt.
The Town will have more announcements in the coming days.