A MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION ON CANADA DAY TO OUR VETERANS AND OTHERS IN LIGHT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL REVELATIONS

PRESENTED AT THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, 01 JULY 2021.[1]

In the Alberni Valley today we would like to acknowledge Winston Joseph, who has passed on since the previous Canada Day. He was the driving force behind our community's Canada Day activities for many years.

Canada Day is very important to our veterans as they offered up their lives and many of them laid down their lives for Canada and for all of us.

Today we are gathering to remember Canada and, as always at the Legion, those who have lived, fought and died for Canada and for our future. One of the many brave people from this area who offered their lives up for the future of others was Edward John Clutesi of the Tseshaht Nation. (Our community is on the un-ceded territories of the Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations)

Today, heavy on our hearts is the tragedy of the horrors of the residential schools and those who suffered and even lost their lives, across this country and even in our community. This is why I am wearing this pin in the shape of the orange ribbon on my uniform today. Every child matters.

Our veterans fought for a brave new world. It was hoped that the First World War would be the war to end all wars. It wasn’t. After the Second World War one amazing thing did happen though and that was we were reconciled with old foes: Germany, Japan, and Italy are now some of our closest allies, trading partners and friends.

Many people passed before they could see the culmination of those wars and that reconciliation. Today in Canada we do have heavy hearts remembering the residential schools and today we have grateful hearts for all of those who died for us – including Edward John Clutesi.

Reading from Hebrews 11:16, the verse on the Order of Canada: "But they now desire a better country, that is an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for He has prepared for them."

Today We are hoping now that we will all commit to and be a part of the inauguration of a new era of reconciliation and healing in our nation and in our community in our people and in ourselves. May there be peace in our time and may there be peace in our hearts.

Let us pray:

Eternal God, we thank you for the peace we enjoy and for the opportunity that is ours of building a better order of society in this Canada for the generations still to come. Amen.

[1] This was presented after conversations with the current and previous Chief Councillor of the Tseshaht First Nation. The current Chief Councilor was unable to attend as he was out of town but committed to send a member of the council to be present.

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