Carney to speak in Edmonton as Canada marks fifth Truth and Reconciliation Day
Events across the country, including in Calgary, mark the Sept. 30 day honouring residential school survivors, with Prime Minister Mark Carney attending an Edmonton ceremony.
Why it matters
The prime minister's visit to Edmonton places Alberta at the centre of this year's national commemoration.
Canadians marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday for the fifth consecutive year, honouring residential school survivors and children who never returned home. More than 150,000 Indigenous children were sent to church-run, government-funded residential schools between 1857 and 1996, where the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 2015 report found abuse, malnutrition and inadequate health care were widespread and part of a state-backed policy of cultural genocide.
Prime Minister Mark Carney was scheduled to speak at an event in Edmonton, while additional ceremonies took place in Calgary and other cities including Toronto, Vancouver and Iqaluit. In Ottawa, CBC/Radio-Canada, APTN and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation hosted their annual Remembering the Children event on Parliament Hill, featuring survivor speeches and performances, with attendees invited to place children's shoes at the stage to honour those affected.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission initially documented 3,200 deaths at residential schools, but researchers at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, still reviewing millions of records, say the true toll could be far higher. Creating the Sept. 30 day of commemoration was among the commission's recommendations.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation executive director Stephanie Scott said facing history honestly remains essential as denialist voices persist, while Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller called reconciliation a shared responsibility for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.