With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation coming up this Thursday September 30, there will be several groups marking the occasion in the area. The date was made a federal holiday by parliament back in June and this will be the first national day to honour the lost children and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

The President of the Pontiac Native Community, Richer Lévesque, said that there would be a small ceremony at the group’s newly constructed healing garden on chemin de la Chute in Mansfield. The public is invited to join, and Lévesque said that the ceremony would begin around 1 p.m.

Lévesque said that the day would be a difficult one but he hoped that many in the Pontiac would come together to participate.

In addition, on September 30, the Anglican Parish of West Quebec will be broadcasting a special service on their Facebook page. Rev. Susan Lewis added that they would also be hosting a KAIROS Blanket Exercise in the hall behind St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Shawville on Saturday at 10 a.m. Lewis explained that the exercise was an interactive presentation of Indigenous history.

KAIROS Canada describes itself as “an ecumenical movement for ecological justice and human rights around the globe.” Lewis said that the exercise would be led by representatives of the Circle of Turtle Lodge from Golden Lake Ontario.