Flags Lowered for Indigenous children

Flags lowered in recognition of 215 Indigenous children whose bodies were found buried beneath a former residential school in B.C.

Shelburne ON, 

The recent discovery of the bodies of 215 children in an unmarked grave on the site of the Kamloops Residential School has horrified Canadians from coast to coast to coast – and rightfully so. This discovery has been a stark and stinging reminder of the shameful legacy of residential schools in our country.

To be sure, this is a legacy which leaves deeply marring scars on our character as a nation. It is also a legacy that some may find tempting to try to ignore or hide from. We cannot let that happen. We have to acknowledge fully what happened to these children, to the families from which they were torn, and to the many others who survived residential schools but who were left deeply traumatized and injured by their experiences. It is only through that full acknowledgement - by owning up to this as a real, yet tragic and shameful part of our nation’s past – that we can ever hope to move forward. As we move forward however, we cannot only be focused on healing the wounds of the past but we must also address the real and immediate issues that continue to plague our indigenous communities across the country today.

To honour the lives and spirits of those 215 children, and others who we may not know about, we have lowered our flags at Town Hall to half-mast. On behalf of Council and the residents of the Town of Shelburne, I want to extend our deepest collective condolences to all of those who are directly or indirectly affected by this. I also want to make it clear to members of our indigenous community both locally and nationally, that the Town of Shelburne grieves with you and we stand with you.
I would ask that we all observe a moment of quiet reflection.