REGINA — The province of Saskatchewan will be recognizing National Truth & Reconciliation Day as a provincial holiday, after repeated calls from the public, but employees will not have the day off as a new statutory holiday.
Sept. 30 has been declared “the day for Truth and Reconciliation in our province,”and all government buildings in the province are to lower their flags to half-mast to honour the day.
“With this proclamation, the provincial government reiterates its commitment to recall our past, working in partnership with the Indigenous peoples of Saskatchewan, and working together toward cultural and economic reconciliation,” said Minister of First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs Don McMorris.
The Provincial Capital Commission is also set to turn some park lights in Wascana Centre orange in honour of the day, notably those at the north shore bandstand, near the Queen Elizabeth II Gardens, and at the steps of the Legislative Building.
Public employees and all residents are also being encouraged to wear orange on Thursday, to “further generate discussion and raise awareness on the history of the residential school system in Canada.”
The declaration follows weeks of silence in response to several voices calling for the day to be declared a statutory holiday, following the federal government’s lead.
Such calls have come from several Indigenous leaders, Saskatoon NDP MLA Betty Nippi-Albright and the opposition, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour and the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union.
Despite the pressure, the provincial government made no indication that Thursday would be a holiday for employees.
Several municipalities in the province have already declared their own intention to celebrate the day as a stat holiday, including Regina, Prince Albert, Weyburn, Saskatoon and Swift Current.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority has also indicated that Thursday will be a holiday for staff, with select surgeries and procedures postponed, and SHA-staffed clinics and labs closed. Emergency health services will continue
“We recognize that this will have a negative impact on our patients, many of whom have been waiting long periods of time for surgeries and procedures,” said the SHA. “However, it is important for all of us to recognize the significance and meaning of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.”
Sept. 30 has long been known informally as Orange Shirt Day, first created as a national day of remembrance for victims, survivors and families affected by the Canadian Indian residential school system.
