NEWS RELEASE
TOWN OF NEWMARKET
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Flags at all Town of Newmarket and Central York Fire Services buildings are flying at half-mast from May 31 until June 8 for a total of 215 hours – one hour to represent each life that was lost, to mourn the children found on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, Kamloops, British Columbia.
“On behalf of the Town of Newmarket, I would like to extend my condolences to the Chippewas of Georgina Island and all Indigenous communities across Canada upon the discovery of the 215 children buried on the Kamloops Residential School site,” says Mayor John Taylor.
“Words cannot describe the intergenerational trauma that so many Indigenous communities have experienced as a result of the residential school legacy. This loss of innocent lives is a reminder that we as a community need to do more to raise awareness of the past, acknowledge the harm that has been done, and work toward a better relationship with Indigenous people and communities. As a Town, we will continue to work with our Indigenous partners to do more and to do better.”
A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available to those who have been affected by former residential schools. The national crisis line is available 24-hours a day and individuals can access emotional support and crisis referral services at 1-866-925-4419.
The Town of Newmarket is situated on the traditional territories of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe peoples, whose presence here continues to this day. We honour and acknowledge this land and its people and join other Canadian communities in offering our deepest condolences to all Indigenous communities during this difficult time.
To learn more about the Town’s commitment to Indigenous communities, please visit newmarket.ca/indigenous.
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