September 15, 2021
The City of Edmonton and Edmonton Police Service (EPS) will observe the Government of Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
“The City of Edmonton recognizes the incredible importance of this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Our commitment to the Indigenous community we share these lands with is to continue to work with, understand, and grow as we recognize past wrongs and build bridges to the future,” said Edmonton City Manager Andre Corbould.
“Recognizing September 30th as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important step in rebuilding relationships and reconnecting with Edmonton’s Indigenous community,” stated Chief Dale McFee. “There is still much work to do on the path toward true reconciliation, but the Edmonton Police Service is honoured to have this opportunity to reflect on our shared history and the impacts on Indigenous communities.”
The City will also mark this important day through community events and workplace activities. The City, EPS, the Edmonton Public Library, and the City Auditor will provide employees with a day of leave with pay, and will encourage them to learn more about the intergenerational trauma caused to Indigenous Peoples.
Official recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation coincides with the City of Edmonton’s journey to strengthen and build relationships with Indigenous peoples through its Indigenous Framework.
The recognition is a direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #80:
“We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
The Indigenous Framework was created using the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice as foundational documents.
Some City services will be reduced to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
