B.C. to make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a paid statutory holiday
The B.C. government has introduced legislation to make Sept. 30 a paid statutory holiday marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Labour Minister Harry Bains introduced a bill in the legislature Tuesday, saying the holiday will be observed this September and every Sept. 30 afterwards.
Bains told the legislature the government's decision on the holiday is in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action No. 80, which requested the federal government establish a holiday to honour residential school survivors, their families and communities. The feds established a holiday for their workers in 2021.
INDIGENOUS LEADERS REACT
"I'm elated, it's certainly long overdue,” President of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip told CTV News.
While pleased, Phillip says the work of reconciliation needs to be year-round.
"The only way we're going to have a paradigm shift in racist attitude in this country is if it's society-wide,”
“Rather than one single event, it's going to have to become a way of life,” Phillip said.
Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief, Jen Thomas says she’s pleased, but still wants to see more action from other governing bodies.
“Let’s see how the municipalities and the schools will incorporate the history of it,” she said.
Thomas’ father Stan is a survivor of St Paul’s Residential School in North Vancouver.
“I think he’s going to be happy about the acknowledgement of this day and what it means for survivors,” she said.
CONCERNS FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
While acknowledging the importance of the day, some members of the business community are voicing concerns about the impact of paying employees for another stat holiday.
"Reaction from businesses is that this is going to be yet another cost increase on top of many other increases that have occurred during the past year and of course even throughout the pandemic,” said the B.C. representative for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Annie Dormuth.
“Keep in mind just this year during the pandemic the B.C. Government added five employer-paid sick days to businesses as an additional cost,”
“On top of employer health taxes, with the rise of minimum wage and a tight labour market, all of this is adding up,” Dormuth said.
Dormuth says they’re calling on the province to include some type of financial relief for businesses in the annual budget later this month. ,
B.C. will join Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon and Canada as jurisdictions that have already designated Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday, if the legislation passes.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6946944.1719771804!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Neighbour on the hook for $3,675 in damages due to ‘nuisance cedar’: B.C. tribunal
A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.
More WestJet flight cancellations as strike hits tens of thousands of travellers
WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.
A study identified 6 types of depression. Here’s why that matters
Scientists may be a step closer to that reality, thanks to new research that has identified six subtypes — or 'biotypes' — of major depression via brain imaging combined with machine learning.
Several U.S. military bases in Europe on heightened alert amid possible terrorist threat
Several U.S. military bases across Europe were put on a heightened state of alert over the weekend, with the level of force protection raised to its second-highest state amid concerns that a terrorist attack could target U.S. military personnel or facilities, according to two U.S. officials.
She's still busy at 105. What secrets and science are behind Canada's 'super agers'?
There is ongoing research to better understand the relationship between social connection and healthy aging, and why the brains of super agers look different compared with their peers.
Nude beach etiquette: Lose your clothes, not your manners
Most of us have felt the freedom and delight that comes with stripping down to a swimsuit on a sunny day and wading into a cool sea, the horizon twinkling in the distance.
Creators urge Ottawa to force disclosure of ‘black box’ AI system training
Canadian creators and publishers want the government to do something about the unauthorized and usually unreported use of their content to train generative artificial intelligence systems.
Canada Day is forecast to be rainy for many this year. Here's a look at weather and fireworks celebrations
Canada turns 157 years old this year, and several fireworks shows across the country are expected to paint the night skies in celebration. Here's a look at the forecast and fireworks celebrations across the country for Canada Day in 2024.
French voters propel far-right National Rally to strong lead in first-round legislative elections
France's high-stakes legislative elections propelled the far-right National Rally to a strong but not decisive lead in the first-round vote Sunday, polling agencies projected, dealing another slap to centrist President Emmanuel Macron after his risky decision to call voters back to the polls for the second time in three weeks.