Canada Day eclipsed by graves found at indigenous schools

Canada’s national holiday Thursday was marked by a grim reckoning over its colonial history, after more than 1,000 unmarked graves were found near former boarding schools for indigenous children.

Several cities across the country cancelled their traditional Canada Day celebrations, usually marked by fireworks and barbecues. The hashtag #CancelCanadaDay was trending on social media, and rallies in support of the indigenous community were held around the country.

The discovery was the latest in a series that have outraged the country, with 751 similar graves found near a school in Marieval in western Saskatchewan province last week, and 215 found at the end of May at another school in Kamloops, British Columbia.

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More than 4,000 died of disease and neglect in the schools, according to a commission of inquiry that concluded Canada had committed “cultural genocide.”

“We as Canadians must be honest with ourselves about our past,” he said.

Days after the Kamloops discovery the city council of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, voted unanimously to cancel their planned virtual celebrations.

Thousands held a similar rally in Montreal with slogans like “Happy denial day.”

April Courtney Kipling, a 29-year-old indigenous woman, came “to remember, to recognize all the children who will never go home.”

“Anyone celebrating Canada on July 1 is celebrating oppression,” said Nakuset, co-organiser of the Montreal Native Women’s Shelter, in a statement.

“It’s hopeful, it shows that people are listening,” said Nadine Bellerose Lavallee, a 50-year-old Metis woman.

The Canadian flag on the Peace Tower in Ottawa was flown at half-mast to honour indigenous children, as was the flag on the central tower of the Quebec National Assembly.

But opposition leader Erin O’Toole defended Canada Day. “The road to reconciliation does not start by tearing Canada down,” the Conservative leader said, admitting that Canada is “not a perfect country.”

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