City of North Vancouver Marks Truth and Reconciliation Day

September 28, 2022   

The City of North Vancouver has proclaimed September 30 Truth and Reconciliation Day, and September 26 to 30 as Truth and Reconciliation Week.

September 30 marks an important step in the City’s reconciliation process and an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, and to honour their survivors, their families and communities.

The City remains committed to working with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), government and community partners to uphold the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Flags at City Hall will be lowered to half mast on September 30. City Hall will also be lit up orange to acknowledge the legacy of residential schools and honour residential school survivors.


City Services on September 30

The City will observe September 30, 2022 as a statutory holiday with the closure of City facilities, including City Hall, but essential services will continue. Construction is not permitted and inspections will not be scheduled. Outdoor public spaces, including The Shipyards are available for use. North Vancouver City Library is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission operating hours are available at nvrc.ca.

The Tsleil-Waututh Nation community will take part in a pilgrimage to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in honour of the residential school survivors. Tsleil-Waututh staff, community members and invited guests will walk from the site of the former St. Paul’s Residential School to the Tsleil-Waututh reserve, located along Dollarton Highway on September 30 between 10:00am and 1:00pm.

The public is invited to create a wall of protection and line up on the sidewalks along Main Street/Cotton Drive at Park and Tilford, or 3rd Street West from St Andrews Avenue to Chesterfield Avenue. For more information, please visit twnation.ca.


Learning Resources

The City recommends using the day to recognize and learn about the intergenerational impacts of residential schools and colonization on local and urban Indigenous populations.

Through September, the North Vancouver City Library offers books, online resources and learning related to truth and reconciliation and decolonization at nvcl.ca/indigenous. MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver also has educational resources available on at monova.ca and is inviting the community to share their thoughts and reflections about Truth and Reconciliation. The community voices will be publicly displayed until October 2022.


About National Truth and Reconciliation Day

As part of Call to Action number 80, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on the federal government to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.  

The National Residential School Survivors Society Emergency Crisis Line is available 24/7 for anyone who may need counselling or support. Call 1-800-721-0066 or the 24-hr crisis line 1-866-925-4419.

For more information on resources and activities to support reconciliation and for civic services and holiday hours on September 30, visit cnv.org/reconciliation

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