Reflect, learn, 'stand together' this Canada Day, northern Ontario leaders say

Many communities and event organizers in northern Ontario are choosing to sit out Canada Day celebrations this year.

The decisions come in support of Indigenous people, and the atrocities that have come to light involving residential schools in Canada.

Those include the discoveries of unmarked burial sites of children adjacent to former residential schools in B.C and Saskatchewan.

In Greater Sudbury, the annual July 1 event at Science North has been cancelled. The science centre and its partners made that decision on Tuesday.

One of the partners is the City of Greater Sudbury.

"We really do need to reflect," said mayor Brian Bigger. "We need to move forward; we need to learn together."

He says as the country and its residents move forward "we need to acknowledge the original people of these lands." 

"It is a good thing for people to become more aware of the history and the culture and listen to the voices of Indigenous peoples talking about our country in our land that we share." 

"We need to do the work necessary to understand things like racism, the inequalities and inequities indigenous peoples face. We need to look to make positive change happen," Bigger added.

"The journey towards reconciliation will take time and it's a journey that we must be prepared to walk together," he said.

In North Bay, all in-person Canada Day events had already been cancelled due to the pandemic. The city is still going ahead with its virtual plans. 

There will be a drumming ceremony with a smudging on July 1, at North Bay city hall on McIntyre Street starting at 10 a.m. 

Mayor Al McDonald says they will also be lighting up city hall in orange out of respect and remembrance of 'children that are not returning home'.

"It's a time to look back and reflect on our country as a whole and to be respectful moving forward," MacDonald said.

"Part of what we want to do as a community — not just on Canada Day, but 365 days a year — is just encourage Canadians to get educated on the challenges and issues we face as a country, in particular when it comes to our Indigenous friends," he added.

Patsy Corbiere wants Canadians to reflect, rather than celebrate, this Canada Day. She is the tribal chair of United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising.

"The people that have gone for it, I really praise them up because they understand and they're wanting to understand," she said of people standing in solidarity with Indigenous people by cancelling their Canada Day events.

"I believe that when we stand together, we can make a better future for Canada."

Corbiere says by pausing to learn this year, doesn't mean future Canada Days are cancelled forever.

"It shows the government that we are standing together, and at the end of the day we can all live in unity across the country."