Shard

Perhaps a different title for this thread as the issue has spread beyond Kamloops and the word bodies is a bit macabre. Residential schools tragedy?

BEVS

I dunno. I feel the thread title to be bang on the nose. Needs to be blunt and true and honest

Tragedy doesn't do it for me. Doesn't state or say enough , as all of this and similar are not tragedies.

The Titanic was a tragedy. The school deaths go beyond this.

Shard

It's certainly blunt ! Just one possible suggestion so no worries. Were there any such schools in Kiwi land by the way?

caretaker

Yesterday was Canada Day and while there were calls in some places to cancel it, in Regina besides the featured festivities in Wascana Park I saw events taking place at Regina Friendship Centre, North Central Community Centre, and a big one outside the Mâmawêyatitân Centre just down the street. I heard the introductions and some of the music but buttoned up in the cooler house rather than head for the crowd. As I moved around town I saw lots of orange t-shirts to commemorate residential school children, but also lots of red ones for Canada Day; people of all races wearing both. Later I had to drive out to the west side and on the way back passed the RCMP complex and their big sign with steel cutouts of mounted troopers on each side. Now it has a red sign in the middle saying Every Child Matters. Well played, RCMP, being proactive before someone else paints it red. Nevertheless it's a good message to send to Native recruits at the academy that the force is changing. I see Canada Day changing into a dual purpose holiday for celebration of the land and commemoration of residential school students. Everyone knows when it is already. I don't know what it looked like in the park but my t-shirt poll here on the urban reserve and downtown showed a mix of orange and red. I think it's appropriate and I'm thoroughly patriotic. Show the flag and celebrate, but at the same time acknowledge that a terrible price was paid by the inhabitants.

caretaker

In Winnipeg things were a bit different; statues of Victoria and HRH were toppled, a couple of cops showed up to take one man away and there was a scuffle so a bunch more showed up and the man was tased and taken away, the reasons should be in today's news.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...ipeg-1.6087684

Shard

Maybe time to replace all those people statues anyway. Perhaps some statue sized Inuit art would be a cohesive way forward.

Jerseygirl

I am surprised at how easily statues slide off the pedestal.

Shard

Yeah, it didn't look like they were bolted on !

Jerseygirl

A few ropes, a quick pull and it’s on the ground.

Shard

Poor old Liz, she must be thinking why couldn't they wait a few more years.

Jerseygirl

2021 hasn’t been good to her so far.

Shard

Indeed. An annus horribilis.

Jingsamichty

No sympathy for her whatsoever. There can't be many people who have worked harder than her to keep truth and reality out of the public domain.

Shard

That's an interesting perspective. Some truth in that, I suppose. But she too is a product of an earlier time.

caretaker

The Albert St Bridge in Regina (longest span over the least water) was built to honour Queen Victoria, so protesters shut it down in a candlelight vigil for 4 minutes of silence. They hung a couple of Canadian flags upside down (a symbol of distress). The Metis flag and Treaty 4 flag fly alongside the Canadian flag on the bridge as they do at City Hall.