Canada Day opinion piece in Sask. paper causes controversy
An opinion article about Canada Day that ran in a local Saskatchewan newspaper has created controversy due to its claims about residential schools.
The piece titled “We have nothing to be ashamed of on Canada Day” offended some Indigenous people and allies in southern Saskatchewan.
Indigenous activist Summer Stonechild was shocked when she found the article after coming out of a Sundance ceremony.
“It was very disturbing to come out of a ceremony and understand that this publication was made available in Treaty Four,” she said.
The article, written by columnist Brian Giesbrecht, was published in the Fort Times, a local newspaper in Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask.
“I was trying to wish everybody a Happy Canada Day, and I was also trying to assure people that Canada is not a genocidal country,” Giesbrecht said of the article.
The article criticized Kevin Annett, a former minister of the United Church of Canada, for “inventing” stories of priests murdering children and hiding the bodies, and those who believe what Giesbrecht calls “conspiracy theories.”
“I’m calling them conspiracy theories because that’s what they are,” Giesbrecht said.
Giesbrecht said he believes there are legitimate searches of burial sites for children from remote communities who died of diseases.
“There was simply no way of even notifying the parents that the child was sick,” he said.
Stonechild is calling on the Fort Times to retract the story.
Indigenous activist Summer Stonechild feels the opinion piece should be retracted. (Stacey Hein/CTVNews)
“People have a hard time believing our traumas because they were kept apart from the real stories,” Summer Stonechild said.
Grasslands News Group, the publishing company behind the Fort Times, said the opinions expressed in the column do not reflect those of the publication itself, in a statement to CTV News.
“It was an opinion of someone who we felt our readers are entitled to see,” Grasslands News Group said.
However, one local business was so upset with the article that they decided to stop dealing with the newspaper altogether.
“We decided to pull it, our customer base is mainly Indigenous peoples,” Jenna Cyr, the manager of Becky’s Place, a business in Fort Qu’Appelle, said, “We decided to not advertise with them as well.”
Grasslands News said it hoped the article would spark conversation around reconciliation.
While being interviewed, Stonechild held a feather and sweet grass to symbolize her support for reconciliation.
“I don’t discredit our non-Indigenous community for wanting to celebrate [Canada Day] but there needs to be a reflection on the truth behind what Canada is,” Stonechild said.
----
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419, or the Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll free line at 1-800-721-0066.
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for "all parties" to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Taylor Swift drops 15 new songs on double album, 'The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology'
On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album and at 2 a.m. Eastern, she released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," featuring 15 additional songs.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.