Canada Day at Maffeo Sutton Park in 2018. (News Bulletin file photo)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Truth, reconciliation must come before Canada Day parties

Nation mourning after discoveries of unmarked graves at residential schools, says letter writer

To the editor,

McLean’s Specialty Foods will be closed on Canada Day this year. Not to celebrate, but to mourn the loss of so many innocent lives in our Indigenous communities across the country. In the wake of the horrifying discoveries of mass burials at residential school sites I cannot bring myself to celebrate while this shameful and disgraceful episode in our past has seemingly been deliberately and conveniently overlooked, and was never even discussed nor taught in our schools.

I would also earnestly hope that Canadians of all ethnic backgrounds would share my sadness, anger, and disgust, and would support every effort to get to the bottom of this sorry episode in our country’s history and start the very necessary healing process.

If we really want to call ourselves a country to be proud of, this must be done. Until that happens I will not be able to celebrate another Canada Day.

Eric McLean, Nanaimo

READ ALSO: City of Nanaimo suggests community spirit as a way to mark Canada Day

READ ALSO: Victoria cancels Canada Day events out of respect for First Nations

To the editor,

We are finally recognizing the decades of horror inflicted on First Nations but don’t want ‘them’ included in our national celebration, Canada Day. That’s the idea? Cancel the party so it’s not ruined by the horrible details? Foolish, dangerous nonsense. The First Nations in Canada are not ‘them’ – they’re us.

John Harris, Nanaimo

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The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin