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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 30 ,2 02 1 | 14 ANITA ANAND Member of Parliament, Oakville Dear Friends and Neighbours, I would like to thank you sincerely for placing your trust in me to continue to serve our beautiful community as your Member of Parliament. It is both a privilege and an honour to continue working tirelessly for all residents of Oakville. Your voices will guide me as I roll up my sleeves for the task before us, working together with all parliamentarians to move our country forward. Please feel free to reach out to me by telephone at (905)-338-2008 or by email at anita.anand@parl.gc.ca. My office is located at 301 Robinson Street and we are open to serve the community, while adhering to all COVID-19 protocols. Thank you so much once again and I hope to see you soon. Sincerely yours, Anita Anand Member of Parliament (Oakville) community as your Member of Parliament. It is both a privilege and an honour to continue working anita.anand@parl.gc.ca @AnitaOakville @AnitaAnandOakville This year, for the first time, Sept. 30 will be observed as a statutory holiday to commemo- rate the horrific legacy of resi- dential schools in Canada. Here's what you need to know about the new holiday and the meaning behind it. What is the name of the holiday? The new stat holiday is called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is meant to be a day for Canadians to spread awareness of and reflect on the tragedies experienced by Indig- enous people as a result of the country's former residential school system. When was the holiday created? The federal government passed Bill C-5 in June, to allow for the creation of this stat holi- day. The holiday is in line with one of the 94 calls to action of The Truth and Reconciliation Com- mission, which states: "We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statu- tory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to ho- nour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of resi- dential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process." What is the significance of Sept. 30? Since 2013, Sept. 30 has been observed as Orange Shirt Day across the country -- a day, cre- ated by residential school survi- vor Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, on which Canadians wear orange shirts to commemorate the In- digenous children who were tak- en from their homes and placed in residential schools. According to the Orange Shirt Day website, Sept. 30 was selected for being around the time that those children were taken from their homes. The colour orange is signifi- cant because it was the colour of Webstad's shirt on her first day of residential school -- a shirt that was taken away from her once she arrived. How is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation meant to be observed? As this is a day of awareness and commemoration, the day "may present itself as a day of quiet reflection or participation in a community event," accord- ing to the Canadian govern- ment. Who gets the day off? Sept. 30 is a statutory holiday and will operate the same way as other statutory holidays in the country: a paid day off for those who work in federally regulated jobs. Federal offices, as well as banks, will be closed on this day. The residential schools crisis line is available 24 hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of a residen- tial school experience. Support is available at 1-866-925-4419. NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Nine-year-old Elyse Tidridge raises an orange shirt up the family's flagpole. Sept. 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new federal statutory holiday meant for Canadians to spread awareness of and reflect on the tragedies experienced by Indigenous people. Metroland file photo VERONICA APPIA NEWS