By Canadian Press

Young Indigenous leaders speak on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at Senate

Sep 26, 2022 | 12:14 PM

OTTAWA — Dr. Meghan Beals says she wants Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to resemble Remembrance Day.

The Prince Edward Island physician is one of five young Indigenous leaders who are in Ottawa to speak to a Senate committee ahead of the federal statutory holiday this Friday.

Beals told senators that the day should include a moment of silence to remember the past and feature events in communities across the country to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to Canada.

After their testimony to the Senate’s Indigenous Peoples committee, the young leaders are expected to meet with senators who are examining the federal government’s responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.

Friday marks the anniversary of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, meant to honour victims and survivors of Canada’s residential schools system.

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Federal public servants and people who work in federally regulated sectors will get the day off, but most provinces have not recognized the day as a statutory holiday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2022.

David Fraser, The Canadian Press