Saskatchewan's 3 largest cities recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Municipal governments in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert will recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday.
“It’s a holiday with a purpose and the purpose is reconciliation and learning our past and what we have to do to move forward,” said Prince Albert’s mayor Greg Dionne.
City employees in all three cities will have a designated paid holiday on that day.
Dionne said it’s important that people mark the day and take advantage of learning opportunities locally and online.
In June the federal government passed legislation to recognize Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as a federal statutory holiday. The day will be a paid day off for federal workers and employees in federally regulated workplaces.
British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and the Northwest Territories have chosen to make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday. In Saskatchewan, the holiday is optional, similar to Remembrance Day which is not a paid civic holiday in the province.
President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Lori Johb has written to the province to recognize the holiday.
“It’s important that working people and all people in Saskatchewan have the time they need to understand the importance of September 30th,” said Johb.
“So that we learn and take the time to understand what happened and we make amends.”
Unionized employees with SGI will get the day as a statutory holiday.
An organizer of Orange Short Day at the Prince Albert Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, Linda OSoup supports the city’s decision to designate the day off to employees.
She anticipates there will be more participation this year due to the new civic holiday and the discovery of unmarked graves at some residential schools.
“I think that people are going to work to educated themselves more and they're going to work more towards understanding what reconciliation is for everyone,” said OSoup.
“We should be seeing a difference since the importance of the day which was maybe just kind of pushed over in the past.”
42 percent of Prince Albert’s population is Indigenous according to the 2016 census statistics, said Dionne and this is another way to encourage healing and harmony. It is also part of the city’s commitment to honour the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations.
The collective agreement for City of Prince Albert employees also automatically deemed the new civic day a holiday for city employees.
Linda O’Soup From the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre in Prince Albert supports the city’s decision to designate the day off to employees. She said it will allow more people to attend events and learn more about the history of residential schools.
The Prince Albert Indigenous Coalition will be hosting a one-hour education session on residential schools Sept. 30.
In June, the Government of Canada declared September 30 a federal statutory holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A news release announcing the move said the government is “committed to reconciliation and ensuring that the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools is never forgotten.”
The day provides an opportunity for federal employees to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.
Prince Albert had four residential schools, the first one opened in 1879 and the last one closed in 1997.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two young ER doctors quit Montreal jobs, blaming Quebec's broken health-care system and Bill 96
Two young emergency room doctors, raised and trained in Montreal, are leaving their jobs after only two years to move back to Toronto – and they say the Quebec health-care model and Bill 96 are to blame.

Tamara Lich breached conditions by appearing with fellow convoy leader: Crown
The Crown is seeking to revoke bail for Tamara Lich, a leader of the 'Freedom Convoy,' after she appeared alongside a fellow organizer in an alleged breach of her conditions.
Gunman fired 70 plus rounds at July 4 parade, 7 dead: police
The gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds with an AR-15-style gun that killed at least seven people, then evaded initial capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, police said Tuesday.
Bank of Canada's rapid rate hikes likely to cause a recession, study finds
The Bank of Canada's strategy of rapidly increasing its key interest rate in an effort to tackle skyrocketing inflation will likely trigger a recession, says a new study released Tuesday from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Assembly National Chief Archibald takes stage at meeting despite suspension
Dressed in Indigenous regalia, National Chief RoseAnne Archibald strode into the annual Assembly of First Nations gathering in Vancouver ahead of a group of chanting supporters on Tuesday. Just the day before, Archibald said she had been 'erased' from the agenda after her suspension in June. Instead, she led opening ceremonies and welcomed attendees in her opening address.
Canada is the first country to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession to join NATO
Canada became the first country to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession protocols to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday.
Grab a seat: Passport lineups prompt Canada to urgently procure hundreds of chairs
As passport processing delays and long lineups persist at Service Canada offices, the federal government is looking to buy 801 chairs for people standing in line by the end of this week.
What we know about the Highland Park shooting suspect
Hours after gunfire interrupted the Highland Park, Illinois, July Fourth parade, killing six people and wounding dozens more, police apprehended the man they believe was responsible.
Cancelled flights have northern Ont. hospital risking ER closure
With doctor shortages causing emergency rooms around the country to shut down, a northern Ontario hospital is scrambling to stave off the same fate.