Flag raising at B.C. legislature honours residential school survivors, lost children

A brisk wind helped mark a flag-raising ceremony Monday at the British Columbia legislature honouring residential school survivors and remembering children who never came home.
The orange and white Survivors' flag will be flown on a pole at the front lawn of the legislature until sundown on Saturday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Indigenous leaders and politicians representing B.C.'s New Democrats, BC United and Greens participated in the flag-raising ceremony ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation when the flag will be flown at federal, provincial and municipal buildings across Canada.
Raj Chouhan, Speaker of the legislature, said Monday he is committed to ensuring the legislature is a welcoming, inclusive place for everybody and the flag is a symbol of that.
“The parliament buildings are a physical symbol of colonialism. Politicians have enacted laws that have done serious harm to Indigenous people of B.C.,” he said.
Songhees Nation elder Butch Dick said it was difficult for him to speak at the ceremony, but he was thankful for the opportunity.
“I realized how these days affect survivors,” said Dick, holding a walking stick adorned with an eagle feather.
“It opens doors to dark days we've gone through as survivors. It's hard to face these days and talk about these days without opening your heart to grief and shame. It's not easy.”
He said the flag raising is a “symbol of hope.”
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said the raising of the Survivors' flag at the legislature is a historic moment representing equal treatment for all people.
“We are here today to remember, to commemorate, to honour and to mourn the loss of our little angels who did not come home from residential school,” he said.
Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Murray Rankin said the flag recognizes the resilience of Indigenous people and represents a symbol of the children who did not return home from residential schools.
“This is a day heavy with emotion for so many,” he said. “This flag tells the story of a brighter future. It's a statement of solidarity with residential school survivors and their families.”
Numerous First Nations in Canada have begun the process of searching the grounds of former residential schools for the unmarked graves of children who didn't return to their families after being forced to attend the institutions dating back to the 1800s.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Minnesota grocery store clerk dies after customer impales him with a golf club, police say
A Minneapolis store clerk died after a customer beat him and impaled him with a golf club, police said. The 66-year-old clerk was attacked Friday at the Oak Grove Grocery, a small neighborhood store in a residential area near downtown Minneapolis. A 44-year-old suspect is jailed on suspicion of murder.
B.C. Amber Alert cancelled, 2-month-old child found safe
Mounties in Surrey, B.C., say the two-month-old child who was the subject of an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon has been found safe.
Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani has opted to stay in southern California, and the Toronto Blue Jays have missed out on landing a generational talent.
6 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured after severe storms tear through central Tennessee
Severe storms that tore through central Tennessee killed six people Saturday and sent about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses were damaged in multiple cities.
A pregnant Texas woman asked a court for permission to get an abortion, despite a ban. What's next?
Kate Cox, a mother of two in Texas, became pregnant again in August but soon after learned devastating news: Her baby has a fatal condition and is likely to either be stillborn or die shortly after birth.
Every phone call is a goodbye, says Vancouver resident with family in Gaza
Omar Mansour says every phone call with his family in the Gaza Strip might be the last.
Mideast ministers in Ottawa to discuss Israel-Hamas war with Joly, Trudeau
A group of foreign ministers from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are in Ottawa today for a quietly planned meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to discuss attempts to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Ibrahim Ali found guilty of killing 13-year-old girl in B.C.
A jury has found Ibrahim Ali guilty of killing a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in a Burnaby, B.C., park in 2017.
Nuclear fission may play key role in the creation of heavy elements when neutron stars collide: study
New scientific models are suggesting that nuclear fission may play a key role in the creation of heavy elements in the universe—which, if true, would be the first example of nuclear fission occurring in space.