September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and a time for all residents of the Comox Valley to reflect on the history and traumatic legacy of residential schools in Canada, including the seven schools that were located among our communities on Vancouver Island.
Public commemoration of the painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process. To support the community in acknowledging this day together, the Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland and the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) will be closing the following facilities on September 30 in observance.
- City of Courtenay City Hall
- Courtenay Fire Hall
- Courtenay Public Works
- Courtenay Recreation Lewis Centre
- Comox Town Hall
- Comox Community Centre
- Comox Municipal Works Yard
- Comox Valley Regional District Office
- Comox Valley Sports Centre
- Comox Valley Aquatic Centre
- LINC Youth Centre
- Florence Filberg Centre
- Cumberland Village Offices
- Cumberland Recreation Centre
- Comox Valley Waste Management Centre
- Campbell River Waste Management Centre
Local governments are encouraging the community to wear orange and participate in the Comox Valley Spirit Walk on September 30 at 10 a.m. The walk starts at Harmston Park and travels down 5th Street to Lewis Park. Everyone is welcome.
Local government employees will continue to participate in educational opportunities throughout the year that acknowledge and raise awareness about the impacts of colonialism. Healing work also continues through the Comox Valley Reconciliation Advisory Table, a group made up of participants from local governments, the K’ómoks First Nation, and community Indigenous groups. More information about the Advisory Table can be found at comoxvalleyrd.ca/reconciliationadvisorytable
More ways to learn
- Understand the origins of Orange Shirt Day
- Discover and share the origin stories, history and languages of the K’ómoks First Nation
- Access learning resources at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation