To the editor,
McLean’s Specialty Foods will be closed on Canada Day this year. Not to celebrate, but to mourn the loss of so many innocent lives in our Indigenous communities across the country. In the wake of the horrifying discoveries of mass burials at residential school sites I cannot bring myself to celebrate while this shameful and disgraceful episode in our past has seemingly been deliberately and conveniently overlooked, and was never even discussed nor taught in our schools.
I would also earnestly hope that Canadians of all ethnic backgrounds would share my sadness, anger, and disgust, and would support every effort to get to the bottom of this sorry episode in our country’s history and start the very necessary healing process.
If we really want to call ourselves a country to be proud of, this must be done. Until that happens I will not be able to celebrate another Canada Day.
Eric McLean, Nanaimo
READ ALSO: City of Nanaimo suggests community spirit as a way to mark Canada Day
READ ALSO: Victoria cancels Canada Day events out of respect for First Nations
To the editor,
We are finally recognizing the decades of horror inflicted on First Nations but don’t want ‘them’ included in our national celebration, Canada Day. That’s the idea? Cancel the party so it’s not ruined by the horrible details? Foolish, dangerous nonsense. The First Nations in Canada are not ‘them’ – they’re us.
John Harris, Nanaimo
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