The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has coincided with Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30 every year since 2021, when it was recognized nationally. But not all provinces have declared the day a statutory holiday, and that includes Saskatchewan. Because of this, the Official Opposition has introduced a bill that would recognize the day as a public holiday. NDP MLA Leroy Laliberte says people in the province need to have the time to properly reflect on what the day means. “There’s tremendous value in creating opportunities for people to hear the stories and experiences of Indigenous people and communities,” Laliberte said. “Reconciliation begins with understanding and understanding starts with taking the times to listen.” The rationale laid out by Laliberte is the driving force behind the bill’s introduction, which has garnered support from the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) . According to SFL president Marilynne MacFarlane, 100,000 members of the federation are also behind the proposed bill. It’s an action that the federation says will catch Saskatchewan up to the rest of western Canada. “Saskatchewan now lags behind now all other western provinces in creating this holiday. That includes B.C., Manitoba and Alberta,” MacFarlane said. Although the province has yet to introduce the holiday on a local level, the Government of Saskatchewan says it remains committed to Truth and Reconciliation through its actions. “The meaningful action that we are undertaking as a provincial government; meeting 30 of the 34 calls to action that were outlined and aimed at the provinces. That is what we are doing every day in this province to ensure that we are taking meaningful engagement with Reconciliation,” explained Eric Schmalz, minister of government relations. According to the province, Saskatchewan’s ten public holidays already on the calendar are the second-most in Canada.
