Let’s make Canada Day a more meaningful and inclusive day for all Canadians—one that acknowledges the past, respects the present, and works toward a more just and equitable future for Indigenous peoples.

We have gathered some information and resources to help acknowledge Canada’s ongoing issues and work towards a better future together.

Read BGC Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commitment Statement

ACTIONS

• Read the TRC’s Calls to Action
• Learn about different perspectives of Canada Day
• Wear an orange shirt in memory of the children who did not survive residential schools
• Donate to an Indigenous organization
  • Indian Residential School Survivors Society
  • Legacy of Hope Foundation
  • First Nations Child & Family Caring Society
  • Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund
  • Reconciliation Canada
• Talk to your children about residential schools
  • IndigiNews resources
• Read a book or watch a film about one of the many Indigenous cultures on Turtle Island
  • Secret Path (Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund)
  • Indigenous Cinema (NFB)
  • Indigenous Storybooks
  • #IndigenousReads (Government of Canada)
  • Indigenous Storytellers: Podcasts (University of Toronto)
• Learn about the Indigenous peoples whose land you live on
  • Whose Land
  • Native Land
• Incorporate a land acknowledgement into your event
• Fly the Indigenous Canada flag, designed by Mulidzas-Curtis Wilson

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

• 4Rs Youth Movement
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
• Personal acts of Reconciliation (CBC)
• Indigenous Ally toolkit (Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network)
• Two-spirit and Indigenous Queer Studies (University of British Columbia)
• National Indian Residential School 24-hour crisis line: 1-866-925-4419

EDUCATION

• Indigenous Canada (University of Alberta)
• nisitohtamowin ᓂᓯᑐᐦᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ An Introduction to Understanding Indigenous Perspectives in Canada (First Nations University of Canada)

With Canada being the second largest diaspora of Ukrainians in the world, we know that the war in Ukraine is affecting many people, including Club youth and staff. We are of course disturbed by what we see and hear about the invasion, and it’s adding to the ongoing mental health toll.

Addressing the fears and worries of children and youth as they discuss their anxieties and fear about war and its possible impacts is important, even when we don’t have certainty about what may happen next. For many youth, this is the first time they have considered the possibilities of a broader war, including the threats of a nuclear power. It is a difficult time, but listening and being open remains one of our best tools of support.

Below we have compiled a few resources that can help parents, guardians, caregivers, and childcare staff talk with children about traumatic events.

• How to talk to children about the invasion of Ukraine, and why those conversations are important (from The Conversation)
• Talking to children about war (from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• How to talk to your children about conflict and war (from UNICEF)
• With invasion of Ukraine, parents and educators face tough conversations with kids (from CBC)
• How to talk to children about the war in Ukraine (from The Tyee)
• How to talk with kids about war: Pointers for parents (from familyeducation.com)
• Understand why Russia is attacking Ukraine (from owlconnected.com)

Young people who are feeling overwhelmed or stressed or just need to talk can also contact Kids Help Phone by texting BGCHelp to 686868 to be connected with a crisis responder 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We have compiled information and resources to help inform your Canada Day celebrations and actions towards Reconciliation.

Land acknowledgement

If you want to know whose land we are on, check out this web-based app that uses GIS technology to assist users in identifying Indigenous Nations, territories, and Indigenous communities across Canada: https://www.whose.land/en/

Community resources

• Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• 4Rs Youth Movement
• Personal acts of Reconciliation
• Reconciliation Canada
• Indigenous Ally toolkit
• Here to Help

Petitions

• Urgent resources for COVID-19 in remote Indigenous communities
• Reinstate project to update Ontario curriculum with Indigenous content
• Make National Indigenous Peoples’ Day a statutory holiday in Canada

Learn more about BGC Canada’s work on Truth & Reconciliation.