Ottawa plans to announce new stat holiday

[thejazz97]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/ottawa-plans-to-announce-new-stat-holiday-1.4053676

 

Quote

OTTAWA – The federal government is planning to announce a new statutory holiday to mark Canada’s destructive residential school legacy.

CTV News has confirmed that the government is consulting with Indigenous groups ahead of moving forward with declaring an annual day to acknowledge what has been declared a time of cultural genocide in Canada.

 

As first reported by The Globe and Mail, the government is eyeing two possible dates for the holiday: either National Indigenous Peoples day on June 21, or Sept. 30, which is recognized as Orange Shirt Day.

 

In 2017, NDP MP Georgina Jolibois tabled a private member’s bill to make June 21 a statutory holiday, but the legislation is still at second reading after one day of debate in March. Sept. 30 commemorates the experience of students at residential schools, referring specifically to the experience of one former student Phyllis Webstad, whose shiny orange shirt—given to her by her grandmother—was taken away from her on her first day at residential school.

 

The idea to create a statutory holiday was one of the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to enact all of the recommendations that fall under federal jurisdiction. Currently this promise is considered "underway with challenges" according to the federal mandate letter tracker, meaning the government is having a hard time fulfilling the commitment.

 

"We have committed to fulfilling all of the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Call to Action 80 asks the Government of Canada to establish a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour the survivors of Residential Schools. That’s exactly what we will do, and we will do that in partnership with Indigenous Peoples," Simon Ross, a spokesperson for Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez told CTV News in a statement.

 

At present there are five days marked as national statutory holidays: Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, and Good Friday.

There are other federal holidays, such as Victoria Day, Remembrance Day, and Thanksgiving, but they are not recognized in every province.

In order for this proposed new stat day to be recognized nationwide, each province and territory would have to change their laws.

Little bit misleading, but the last sentence is the most important as it clarifies everything.

[Chicken.]

I'm all for an extra stat holiday....

 

Sept 30th sounds like a good time

[luckylager]

2 minutes ago, Chicken. said:

I'm all for an extra stat holiday....

 

Sept 30th sounds like a good time

I think we should do both days

[Nucker 67]

I'm all for an extra day off, but I certainly won't be dwelling on the government's mistakes of the past.

[PhillipBlunt]

One for June and one for September.

[VanGnome]

....

Statutory holidays which are seen as by MOST people the celebration of a given historical event, with exception Remembrance day which is seen as an observation of the sacrifice against tyranny.

We are going to have an indelible reminder of how $&!#ty people used to be in the form of a new proposed statutory holiday? This is beyond absurd, and imo clinically insane, not to mention insulting to those who suffered at the hands of those running the residential schools.

Is it seriously not enough to simply make recompense for the mistakes of past and just move on? Why do we have to glorify $&!#ty things people have done in the past? This concept of White Guilt is getting WAY too out of hand.

How about the Government focuses on closing loopholes in our immigration policy which has led to thousands of Syrian migrants to engage in bull$&!# asylum claims, burning taxpayer dollars by having these people housed in and subsequently destroying college and university dormitories and public hotels? Is this really a matter of significant importance in Canada's current list of issues?

[bishopshodan]

Oh sure.

Soon we will be deciding on national work days to break up all these holidays.

[riffraff]

No.

 

i already pay for employees stat holidays of which there are enough of imo.

 

i end up working them all too.

 

could care less the reasonings behind the holiday.  Imo there is simply enough paid holiday time as it is.

 

 

[Nucker 67]

This won't be enough.

 

Next up, changing the flag. I'm sure there's something offensive about the maple leaf.

[sonoman]

21 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

This won't be enough.

 

Next up, changing the flag. I'm sure there's something offensive about the maple leaf.

Trud dohs liberals bending over backwards to destroy any sense of Canadian values.  What’s past is past, quit apologizing over and over.  I’m part “First Nations”, French Canadian great, great grandfather married a Mohawk.  Do I feel hard done by, no.  I work my butt off to enjoy a decent life, not extravagant like a drama queen PM.  Whether you believe in creationism or Darwinism,  we ALL have common ancestors.  

Sorry Nucker, I know what you mean (Canadian trait  ). Tired of everything thing being deemed offensive to someone. 

[Pears]

Another stat day would be lit. 

[Nucker 67]

8 minutes ago, sonoman said:

Trud dohs liberals bending over backwards to destroy any sense of Canadian values.  What’s past is past, quit apologizing over and over.  I’m part “First Nations”, French Canadian great, great grandfather married a Mohawk.  Do I feel hard done by, no.  I work my butt off to enjoy a decent life, not extravagant like a drama queen PM.  Whether you believe in creationism or Darwinism,  we ALL have common ancestors.  

Sorry Nucker, I know what you mean (Canadian trait  ). Tired of everything thing being deemed offensive to someone. 

I'm Metis, as well. I know my Mother has told me stories of when she and her sister were sent to the convent as kids to be taught (disciplined) by the nuns. Some horrible stuff. Some of us have relatives who have lived (or died) through terrible experiences. We heal over time and we do our best with what life gives us. That's all we can do. Spending the rest of your life blaming is no way to live. It's absolutely awful what the residential school students had to go through, but it happened a long, long time ago during a very different time in history. Hearing a young Indigenous person today trash white people because their great grandfather was sent to the residential school, is nothing more than racism bred by the stories passed down. And the cycle continues.   

[PhillipBlunt]

3 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

I'm Metis, as well. I know my Mother has told me stories of when she and her sister were sent to the convent as kids to be taught (disciplined) by the nuns. Some horrible stuff. Some of us have relatives who have lived (or died) through terrible experiences. We heal over time and we do our best with what life gives us. That's all we can do. Spending the rest of your life blaming is no way to live. It's absolutely awful what the residential school students had to go through, but it happened a long, long time ago during a very different time in history. Hearing a young Indigenous person today trash white people because their great grandfather was sent to the residential school, is nothing more than racism bred by the stories passed down. And the cycle continues.   

Excellent post, NUCKER.

[PhillipBlunt]

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

This won't be enough.

 

Next up, changing the flag. I'm sure there's something offensive about the maple leaf.

I wonder how many folks find it personally offensive that the Canadian flag is based off of Toronto's hockey team's emblem. I know I do. Stick in rink as the new flag!

[King Heffy]

I'm not going to say no to another paid holiday.

[thejazz97]

1 hour ago, VanGnome said:

Is it seriously not enough to simply make recompense for the mistakes of past and just move on? Why do we have to glorify $&!#ty things people have done in the past? This concept of White Guilt is getting WAY too out of hand.

How about the Government focuses on closing loopholes in our immigration policy which has led to thousands of Syrian migrants to engage in bull$&!# asylum claims, burning taxpayer dollars by having these people housed in and subsequently destroying college and university dormitories and public hotels? Is this really a matter of significant importance in Canada's current list of issues?

"Is it seriously not enough to simply make recompense for the mistakes of past and just move on?"

They cited action 80 as a reason for doing this, so this is part of recompense.

 

"Why do we have to glorify $&!#ty things people have done in the past?"

Who said it was glorifying?

 

"This concept of White Guilt is getting WAY too out of hand."

While I don't disagree, I disagree that this instance is based off of white guilt.

 

"How about the Government focuses on closing loopholes in our immigration policy which has led to thousands of Syrian migrants to engage in bull$&!# asylum claims"

First of all, not all of them are Syrians. Second, if you close the loopholes, what's going on at the border still happens. Third, they're not BS. They get properly processed, and then accepted or rejected. And if they are Syrians from Syria, then that's a legitimate reason to claim asylum. But this is a whole other point and is deflecting from the original article.

[NewbieCanuckFan]

2 hours ago, luckylager said:

I think we should do both

That sounds so dirty  (heh, my mind is ALWAYS in the gutter).  

[JM_]

22 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

I'm Metis, as well. I know my Mother has told me stories of when she and her sister were sent to the convent as kids to be taught (disciplined) by the nuns. Some horrible stuff. Some of us have relatives who have lived (or died) through terrible experiences. We heal over time and we do our best with what life gives us. That's all we can do. Spending the rest of your life blaming is no way to live. It's absolutely awful what the residential school students had to go through, but it happened a long, long time ago during a very different time in history. Hearing a young Indigenous person today trash white people because their great grandfather was sent to the residential school, is nothing more than racism bred by the stories passed down. And the cycle continues.   

didn't the last one close in 1996 in Saskatchewan? its recent for many. 

[coastal.view]

1 hour ago, VanGnome said:

....

Statutory holidays which are seen as by MOST people the celebration of a given historical event, with exception Remembrance day which is seen as an observation of the sacrifice against tyranny.

We are going to have an indelible reminder of how $&!#ty people used to be in the form of a new proposed statutory holiday? This is beyond absurd, and imo clinically insane, not to mention insulting to those who suffered at the hands of those running the residential schools.

Is it seriously not enough to simply make recompense for the mistakes of past and just move on? Why do we have to glorify $&!#ty things people have done in the past? This concept of White Guilt is getting WAY too out of hand.

How about the Government focuses on closing loopholes in our immigration policy which has led to thousands of Syrian migrants to engage in bull$&!# asylum claims, burning taxpayer dollars by having these people housed in and subsequently destroying college and university dormitories and public hotels? Is this really a matter of significant importance in Canada's current list of issues?

i agree with your sentiments

but the reason for adding the holiday does not mean the actual day is commemoration of past mistakes

those past mistakes are the genesis for the day though

it could simply be a day to celebrate aboriginal culture and heritage

which our country clearly inherited

and spent too much time and energy denigrating

so now it is time to celebrate that richness

 

[VanGnome]

Just now, coastal.view said:

i agree with your sentiments

but the reason for adding the holiday does not mean the actual day is commemoration of past mistakes

those past mistakes are the genesis for the day though

it could simply be a day to celebrate aboriginal culture and heritage

which our country clearly inherited

 

Fair enough, but why specifically include the reason being the "declaration of cultural genocide" seems far too apologetic. Why not simply say we want to federally recognize and celebrate the rich cultural history of the aboriginal peoples.

The apologetic, white guilt narrative for me taints what should be an outstandingly positive move forward of reconciliation between the federal government and aboriginal leaders.