Manitoba premier says Orange Shirt Day may become a provincial statutory holiday
The Manitoba government is considering whether to make the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation -- also known as Orange Shirt Day -- a provincial statutory holiday.
Premier Heather Stefanson says her government will consult with businesses and Indigenous leaders before any decision is made.
"It's part of reconciliation and moving forward on that front, if we do go in that direction," Stefanson said Thursday.
"We need to ensure that we talk to the business community and see what this means to them, we talk to Indigenous communities and see what it means to them. We haven't had a chance to do that."
Orange Shirt Day was established in honour of the experience of Phyllis Webstad, whose gift of clothing from her grandmother was taken away on Webstad's first day at a residential school.
The federal government recently made the day, which falls on Sept. 30, a statutory holiday for its workers and federally regulated workplaces. Extending it to provincial workers and workplaces is an idea the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce appears open to considering.
"We have to consult with our membership ... because there is a cost, and right now companies are hurting across the board," said chamber president Loren Remillard.
"But at the end of the day, I know, speaking with our members, they are absolutely committed to truth and reconciliation."
Many businesses closed for the day this year without being required to do so, he added.
Stefanson's remarks followed her first state-of-the-province speech -- held annually by the chamber -- since she became premier in October. She touched on reconciliation frequently in the 20-minute address and promised "a new relationship based on respect, co-operation and partnership."
The Opposition New Democrats have been pushing for the statutory holiday and have a bill before the legislature that was debated briefly Thursday.
"I would say let's get this done," said Ian Bushie, NDP critic for Indigenous relations.
"Indigenous organizations, community members, residential school survivors -- they've had this conversation and they've brought these thoughts and these ideas forward to make this a statutory holiday."
The aim is to not just give people a day off work, but to mark the day with solemn reflection and education, Bushie said.
"It's very important to bring forward those thoughts, those ideas, and to be able to bring that into the curriculum, to educate ... Manitoba and Canada as a whole."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2021
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.