FREDERICTON – Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon will present a motion in the Legislative Assembly this morning requesting that the Legislative Assembly designate September 30th as the Day for Truth and Reconciliation in New Brunswick. 

 “Over the course of more than 100 years, some 150,000 Indigenous children were ripped from their families and forced to attend church and government-run Residential Schools,” said Coon. “Officially recognizing this day is an important step towards reconciliation in New Brunswick.”

 The Government of Canada recognizes September 30th as the annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. The provincial governments of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, and British Columbia have recognized September 30th as a provincial Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

 Coon will ask other MLAs for unanimous consent to immediately have the motion debated and passed.

 “After this week, the Legislature will be adjourned until the fall, making it too late to recognize a Day for Truth and Reconciliation for this year,” said Coon. “Considering this, I am calling on my colleagues to work with me to ensure that this motion is passed before we adjourn for the summer on Friday.”