CN Tower to be lit orange on Canada Day in solidarity with Indigenous communities

Toronto.Citynews.ca
June 25, 2021

As Canada’s Indigenous communities grapple with the horrific discovery of 751 unmarked graves at a former residential school in Saskatchewan, Toronto is offering condolences and symbols of support.

While many are questioning if Canada Day should be celebrated this year in light the country’s connections to residential schools, Toronto’s most iconic landmark announced a show of solidarity.

The CN Tower will be lit orange on Canada Day (July 1) “in solidarity with and in support of Indigenous communities across Canada.”

In a statement, Toronto mayor John Tory called the discovery of unmarked graves at the former Marieval residential school in Saskatchewan “heartbreaking.”

“This is another tragic reminder of the pain and suffering Indigenous peoples endured at residential schools across our country,” Tory wrote.

“The recent discoveries bring us face to face with a brutal truth that we must acknowledge and never forget … we remain committed to doing the real work of reconciliation.

The City of Toronto said it would be lowering flags to half mast on Thursday, as well as dimming the Toronto sign and silencing its social media channels.

Last month another mass grave was unearthed by the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation at the former Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia.

The remains of 215 children, some as young as three years old, were found buried on the school grounds -- once the largest in Canada’s residential school system.