The Thorold public library will close its doors on Thursday, September 30 to commemorate the first ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Reconciliation Day, which coincides with Orange Shirt Day, is a federal statutory holiday that was conceived to honour the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities.
During Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Public Library Board Tony Vandermaas, who is the chair of the board, was asked why the library is closing instead of offering indigenous programming. Vandermaas answered that the basic agreement of the library states that its employees will get every federal and provincial statutory holiday off.
Meanwhile Rebecca Lazarenko, the library’s interim chief librarian, pointed out that there just wasn’t any time to put something together this year, adding, “We do plan to acknowledge the day prior wearing orange shirts, we have literature and we’ve made up some brochures”.
“I urge everyone to give the day some thought,” said Tony Vandermaas.
“The whole point of the reconciliation process is to look at some of the things that have been done to indigenous people such as the residential schools. While we certainly can’t undo it we should recognize it and give it respectful consideration.”
