SARC Recognizes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

In June 2021, the Federal Government of Canada passed legislation to recognize September 30th annually as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As a provincial association and employer of hundreds of people, SARC will observe this day annually. Beginning in 2021, the SARC head office in Saskatoon, the SARCAN processing plants in Regina and Saskatoon, and the many SARCAN depots across the province will close each September 30th to observe and reflect on our commitment to truth and reconciliation.


National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has been designated as an opportunity to ‘recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.’ The day addresses one of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: “We call upon the Government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”


“As a leader in the nonprofit sector and a large Saskatchewan employer, diversity and inclusion are deeply entrenched values that we uphold. We all have a responsibility to honour Survivors and their families, challenge our own thinking, learn from past injustices and listen. As an organization we are proud of our commitment to diversity, but there is much work to be done to be an equitable and inclusive country. We all must work to understand and support the achievement of the Calls to Action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commision of Canada” said SARC Executive Director, Amy McNeil.


The day of September 30th was chosen in conjunction with Orange Shirt Day, which has nationally been recognized since 2013 as a movement to recognize the colonial legacy of the Canadian residential school system and the atrocities faced at these institutions by Indigenous people throughout Canada’s history.
“SARC is committed to listening and learning from Indigenous communities about how we can create a space for healing through truth, accountability and reconciliation,” added McNeil. “All Canadians share the responsibility of redressing past harms, restoring and upholding the constitutional and human rights of the original peoples of this country and forging a path forward where we all walk as equals”.


For more information, contact:
Sean Homenick
Manager of Communications and Culture, SARC/SARCAN
Phone: 306-933-0616 ext 235
Email: shomenick@sarcan.sk.ca


Amy Janzen
Communications Coordinator, SARC
Phone: 306-933-0616 ext. 236
Email: ajanzen@sarcan.sk.ca

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