Mr. Speaker, on September 30, indigenous peoples and Canadians from across Turtle Island will commemorate the annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day came about because of years of advocacy by Phyllis Webstad. Indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast, elders, knowledge-keepers, residential school survivors and their families are to be thanked for their work in holding settlers accountable for our actions.
I will be spending the day educating myself further to understand more about how I can better walk the path of reconciliation and to understand how the actions that I myself put forward impact indigenous peoples. I invite all residents of the Soo, Algoma and all of Canada to take part in this day to educate themselves on how they also can support our efforts in reconciliation.
I would like to say chi-meegwetch to the members and elders of Batchewana First Nation, the Métis Nation, Garden River First Nation, the surrounding first nations and urban indigenous peoples for their advice and knowledge on my journey. Through my journey of education, I have been taught that reconciliation is not a checked box or a list of accomplishments. It is a continuation of concrete actions to address concerns and issues and to create positive change and relations with indigenous peoples. Every day is a good day to educate oneself on reconciliation and the history of indigenous peoples.