City raises Every Child Matters flags to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

In advance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, the City of Port Moody has raised Every Child Matters flags in front of City Hall and the Recreation Complex. The dome of the Port Moody City Hall building will also be lit up in orange in support of Truth and Reconciliation. 

“The Every Child Matters flags – along with the lights at City Hall and the orange shirts we encourage everyone to wear on September 30 – are important because they help us raise awareness of the ongoing impacts of Canada’s Residential School System, which separated more than 150,000 Indigenous children from their families and communities,” says Mayor Meghan Lahti. “They help us honour the children who died at Residential Schools and the children who survived. Marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in this way – along with the personal learning, listening, and reflection that each of us can choose to do as part of our own journey – is a vital part of the reconciliation process.” 

The Every Child Matters flags will remain in place until Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Orange lighting on the dome at City Hall will follow the same schedule. 

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal statutory holiday that was created through legislative amendments made by Parliament. Please note that civic facilities in Port Moody will be closed or have reduced hours on September 30 and October 2, 2023: 

 On September 30, please consider learning more about the experiences, past and present, of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the Coast Salish Nations on whose Traditional Territory the city of Port Moody now resides. Visit the City’s website and the Government of Canada’s website for more information and resources.

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, supported by the Orange Shirt Society. The Society works to create awareness of the individual, family, and community inter-generational impacts of Indian Residential Schools through Orange Shirt Day activities, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters.” Everyone is encouraged to wear orange on September 30 to honour the children, families, and communities affected by the Indian Residential School System in Canada.