By John Francis,
Bruce Peninsula Press
Canada Day on the Bruce Peninsula — as elsewhere in Canada — will be a sombre affair. Fireworks displays and other celebrations have been cancelled to respect the grief of our First Nations after the discovery of large numbers of unmarked graves at residential schools in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Tobermory Chamber of Commerce President Kent Wilkens announced: “In acknowledgement of the pain and suffering caused by the recent news on the unmarked graves at the residential schools the Tobermory Chamber of Commerce has decided that celebratory fireworks would be inappropriate at this time. In solidarity with our brothers and sisters from the First Nations we have decided to cancel the fireworks for Canada Day. We join them in sadness for their loss at this time.”
Lion’s Head’s traditional Canada Day celebrations are also cancelled.
Instead, there will be a “Walk of Healing” on Saturday, July 3 at 7:00PM, beginning at Bruce Peninsula District School in Lion’s Head. Entitled “Can You Hear Me? Together A Walk of Healing”, the event is a collaboration between members of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and members of the Lion’s Head community. Participants will walk from BPDS to Main Street, then down Webster Street and around to the beach pavilion, where there will be a time of healing and reflection with residential school survivors and their families.
Residential schools were very much a fact of life for our local First Nations. Children were taken from both Nawash (Cape Croker) and Saugeen First Nations and sent to Spanish (St Ann’s) Girls School (1868-1962) and Spanish (St Peter Claver) Boys School (1879-1958).
