National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - Comments Page 2

What do you think about the new National Day for Truth and Reconciliation statutory holiday?

Post your comments

I should be a holiday for all of Canada, all business should be closed that day! Where is the respect when only government employee get the day off?

It should be everyone BUT the government that gets a paid holiday for a change. What Was the government's involvement that led to these circumstances????

My small business with 4 employees has really suffered with the addition of another Stat holiday "National Day for Truth and Reconciliation' and the new 5 paid sick days per year.

I believe and in my opinion, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a product of neo liberalism. Fabricated to make Whites guilty. Fabricated to extort financial resources from Whites and from national government.

Correct me if I am wrong (I already know I'm not) but it was the Government that caused this disastrous mess by making the terrible decision to uproot, relocate and displace families and then tear them apart causing unnecessary grief, death and long-lasting psychological repercussions generation after generation - so yeah let's give the Government employees all a day off?! If anything, make the Government employees work and everyone else join ceremonies to honor those who paid the ultimate price, and still do!

It is not fair for us as workers to be taxed to pay a day off for the government which is supposed to give us service. If it is only fair if everybody is off.

I think this should be a day off with pay for everyone to be able to attend or take part in public gatherings even ceremonies that may be taking place not just for government and government associated establishments.

What the indeginous parents and children suffered is horrendous. But to recognize that this should never have happened by giving government workers yet another bonus.... that is not the way to do it.

30 September is a day to stop and reflect that as we join the momentum of the return to work and school, colonial efforts resulted in forced removal of Generations of children from their indigenous heritage, and this resulted in many deaths and has had permanent damage to the indigenous communities. So Pause, reflect, and learn

I believe that Stratutory Hollidays - becouse of their impact on economy - should be considered very carefully. Possibly very restrictivelly. Deffinitelly not based on group intentions - we have so many diferent groups here which are asking for recodnition that Statutory Holiday would be dreame, rejection assult.

Truth and Reconciliation day is just another day for Canadians to take off work and still get paid for it and for the government to shut down their offices the following Monday for no good reason

The current government has nothing to do with the past, but now enjoying a little holiday for our fathers wrongdoing. This should be a statutory holiday, so all the people have the opportunity to relax and reflect on our past.

This is Trudeau through and through. Canada needs another stat holiday FOR EVERYONE but he only makes one for his federal cronies. Provinces should NOT be allowed to opt out of this but they are.

Wow...another paid holiday for the Federal workers? I guess they are the only ones who work hard enough to deserve a day off? Where are the Goverments priorities?? Give the money to the families who lost their children and clean up the water on the reserves, it's been a long time coming.

What about every Federal Member of Parliament and The House of Commons get things moving by FINALLY honouring our treaties! As a Canadian too I believe we are stealing ALL the profits from Native Lands and are nothing better than thieves in Government and Church clothing. Have the Roman Catholic Church give back their many land holdings that the very schools were actually built on. Make it a Stat Holiday for everyone and get rid of another Stat Holiday that only means "another day off". September 30th means something to every Canadian. Let us become "A United Family" for the first time in history.

The majority by a mile are non natives federal employees being given another paid holiday while hard working Canadians foot the bill.Natives are receiving nothing.Its a great honor seeing your fat white bothers at the trough.

Why does the government that let this happen and hid it get the day off? All Canadians should pay taxes. And if you don't youre on your own! Anyone born here is native of the land!

Boggles the mind! Truth about what, and whose truth would that represent? What would "reconciliation" entail,money?

Commenting to Mike,Wayne,Jenn and Tony R …..You all truly sound like whiners…Truth and Reconciliation is a important issue for us and you all need to stop trying to make it worse than it already is for the people (First Nations) All you talk about is money and whining,The first people will never forget.,but you can forget about all your past loved ones because that’s the same thing that your complaining about.

The Canadian Government has alot of nerve to prioritize themselves with this issue. They are responsible for the tragedy and suffering with the residential schools. Now years later reward themselves with a paid day off while the rest of the country is put to work. Now these ignorant people being paid by us peasants have the nerve to dictate what services they expect during their day of luxury. How bout this is turned around and the working class gets double pay and the over compensated government employees work a full day for once.

It's not fair that it's only a holiday for government workers.

As a Canadian and not a Federal Employee, I am extremely disappointed that National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a statutory holiday across both public and private sectors. To say that Employers may not afford to have their employees off for one additional day with pay, suggests that the Federal workers can afford the day off with pay? ABSURD! It's one additional day a year, not five! With banks and post offices closed, there isn't much a business can do unless it is retail. We all pay tax dollars that go toward paying the salaries of Federal workers. I am not forming an opinion on that piece, we live in a great country and of course our tax dollars go toward that. I get it. However, we are now obligated to pay our federal workforce for a paid day off while we work? How exactly is that fair or reasonable? As Canadians, we all deserve the same equal opportunity to pay our respects for what is one of Canada's most horrific tragedies. We all deserve an opportunity to make this world a better place and to provide some level of comfort to families who have suffered the loss of loved ones. Shame on the decision makers of this Country for allowing these decisions to be made at the Provincial level. Many of our ancestors are of Native descent. My Grandmother was Native. For the life of me, I cannot wrap my had around the unfair decision to make this a Federally Public paid day off.

Comment in response to Hope's end comment: I believe why there shouldn't be black history, Vietnamese and Chinese holiday in Canada, is because the indigenous culture is the first nation that occupied this country. First nation indigenous people have been here for 70,000 years and more. That should be recognized, acknowledged and respected by everyone who now considers Canada their home.

We don't need two holidays in one month. I'm a contractor for a government office and if I don't work I don't get paid. 1 holiday is manageable but two in same month not so much. Justin Tredeau created this holiday to playcate them. The events in modern times are horrible and they should be paid or that. Anything beyond need that to move on

Why does the government get the holiday when the lower caste system doesn't? Not fair we should pay a government employee out of our taxes. Maybe the non-Federal employees should get a holiday only. Also when does the line get drawn. Should we have a Black History holiday, Vietnamese holiday, Chinese Holiday, ecetra.

Agreed. Give first nations peoples their own country and cut off all benefits. Let them live by their own laws any way they want without the rest of country forever having to feel sorry for the past. The past is gone. Learn from it and move on. I know, this is an unpopular opinion.

I 100% agree with Mike (comment before mine). Everywhere else on earth the losing side of any battle is happy to be still alive and they don't get decades long benefits and holidays, tax breaks and don't get to constantly complain on national tv and radio about how horrible that they aren't getting even more of everything. I also agree that residential schools were bad. They are over. Time to move on. I hear now that Canada Day is being changed to Inclusion Day in some cities to make first nations people feel better. Maybe the first nations people and Quebec should be their own country and then let's see how they get on without the vast contributions the rest of Canada currently provides them.

Weird how every other nation on the planet that have taken over another country has a to bad so sad you lost now follow our laws rules and if you whine about it you go to jail are killed or sent out of country. Scotland pay england for beating them in a battle and taking land.... no. Is russia caring or feel bad for taking parts of Ukraine... hell no. No paying back and saying sorry. Just be greatful that when you lost the battle you weren't wiped off the face of existence and that you can still live here. The torture and killing of children who were taken to be assimilated into the new order was wrong but for the government that was at fault to get a free day off is a joke. They are basically getting a pat on the back and paid for killing kids. Yet the people who have already said its wrong and stood by the families and made the recognition and feel bad get nothing... stupid government. Make it federal everybody or say sorry and have no recognised day and move on over these incidents already. Learn. Be better. Move on, or make all recognize by having a day of remembrance.

New idea. Instead of govt employees getting yet another day off to remember the govt led atrocities of the past, how about govt employees work the day sans pay. The saved wages are used fund reconciliation initiatives. Nothing like a day of free labour to keep a topic fresh in memory.

Honestly, how much "compensation" is enough. Never will be, get over it. Bad things happen to people of all walks of life in various points in history. Getting a stat for it? It's laughable. I imagine a large portion of the people who this holiday is for are unemployed.

Post your comments