Mr. Speaker, as part of the consultations done during the last Parliament on this bill and the testimonies we heard through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it became clear that September 30, Orange Shirt Day, a grassroots movement in Canada led by indigenous peoples across the country, was really the most significant day to create this national federal statutory holiday to remember what happened and what Canada has done to indigenous peoples across the country. We want to work to ensure that Canadians, but especially younger Canadians, understand this part of our past so that never again should this happen in the future.
In the House of Commons on October 23rd, 2020. See this statement in context.