Comox Valley honours Truth and Reconciliation Day

The Reason We Walk display in Comox Valley Art Gallery window includes cultural items from Spirit Walk organizers and K’ómoks First Nation. Photo: Heather Watson / CHLY 101.7 FM

Tuesday, September 30th is Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, instituted for the “public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools.” 

On September 25th Comox Valley’s local governments shared a joint statement recognizing the day, and listing facilities across the Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, and Comox Valley Regional District that will be closed in observance. The four local governments are encouraging residents to acknowledge the day, also recognized as Orange Shirt Day, by wearing orange and participating in the Comox Valley Spirit Walk on Tuesday morning. 

The Spirit Walk will begin at 10 a.m. at Harmston Park in Courtenay, and proceed down 5th Street to Lewis Park. The event is organized by MIKI'SIW Metis Association, Wachiay Friendship Center, Indigenous Women's Sharing Society, and Upper Island Women of Native Ancestry. The organizers have the support of K’ómoks First Nation, whose unceded traditional territory the event will be held on. Ramona Johnson of K’ómoks First Nation will speak at the opening of the Spirit Walk. 

This is the fifth year a walk has been held in Courtenay to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day, showing respect to residential school survivors and their families, and educating the community on the history of residential schools in Canada, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In past years the walks have been self guided tours of Downtown Courtenay, following a map to storefronts around town with large informational posters in their windows. 

Chrys Sample, vice president of the Comox Valley MIKI'SIW Métis Association, shared why the Spirit Walk will be different this year.

“But this way, we did change it up because we thought a sense of community can be enabled more by us walking shoulder to shoulder, all of us walking down the street in our orange shirts. And you know, in the past, we've had between 1,000 and 1,400 people, so I think that can be kind of impressive,” she said.  

This year the Comox Valley Art Gallery is also participating by dedicating a window display to Truth and Reconciliation Day and the Spirit Walk, with diverse cultural elements included from each of the organizing partners and K’ómoks First Nation. The display will be up from September 26th to October 6th. 

Chrys Sample says that on an individual level, the best way to acknowledge Truth and Reconciliation day is by joining the Spirit Walk.

“What they can do is just show up. And Courtenay–Comox has a great number of people that do show up, honestly. I feel so happy about that because so many people come, so many people are interested in learning about our culture, what went on. I really do think that we're moving in a positive direction, honestly,” Sample said.

The Comox Valley Spirit Walk will begin at 10 a.m. on September 30th at Harmston Park in Downtown Courtenay.

Canadian Heritage encourages all Canadians to wear orange on September 30th, “to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools.”

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Reporting done in the Comox Valley is done in partnership with DIG FM.