Community Event will inspire reflection and conversation about the history of the residential school system and Truth and Reconciliation

Cobourg, ON (September 25, 2024) – The Town of Cobourg would like to invite the community to participate in an engaging activity on Monday, September 30, to inspire learning and conversation about the history of the residential school system and Truth and Reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time to reflect on the history of Indigenous people, remember the thousands of children that attended harmful residential schools, and understand how we as allies can help create a better future. Cobourg residents are encouraged to take the extra step on this very important day to do their part in reconciliation by educating themselves on the history of the land we live on.

The Town of Cobourg will be recognizing the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation with a moment of reflection and inspired conversation. Stationed out front of Victoria Hall, will be informational and historical prompts to promote critical thinking about past and current issues resulting from Canada’s residential school system.

1. Read the prompts to learn more about residential school history and Truth and Reconciliation Day.
2. Reflect on how you can be an ally to the Indigenous community today and every day.
3. Leave a message or share a thought so we can learn from one another and keep the conversation going.

The Town of Cobourg has purchased two, orange Adirondack chairs for people to leave their messages of reflection on. These chairs, once completed, will be moved to the harbour, in proximity to nature and the Town of Cobourg Waterfront Wisdom Pathway. Prompts and conversational pieces will be on display from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on September 30 and are intended for people to come and go throughout the day.

Waterfront Wisdom Pathway:
The Waterfront Wisdom Pathway is a collection of 26 banners created by local Indigenous artists Rick Beaver and Koren Smoke of Alderville First Nation. The banners, displayed on the lampposts along the Cobourg waterfront, bring vibrant expressions of storytelling, tradition, and remind us of our connections to the land. The artists selected the harbourfront location due to the significance of water to Indigenous culture.

Once the chairs are completed, it is the Towns hope that people will participate in the Waterfront Wisdom Pathway and then sit and reflect while appreciating our local connections to water and Indigenous culture.

Community Cultural Events for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

A Collection Built on Relationships – Art Gallery of Northumberland
In 1976, the AGN, then the Art Gallery of Cobourg, received a gift of approximately sixty Inuit carvings, sculptures, and materials collected from 1900 to 1970. These works offer a glimpse into the artistic expressions and lived experiences of the Inuit during a period of rapid cultural change.

The collection, sourced from communities across the Inuit Nunangat (Inuit Homeland), are presented alongside a map reflecting the Inuit-Crown land treaties, using their original Inuktut place names as part of the ongoing process of decolonization.

This exhibition honours not only the artistic legacy of the Inuit, but also the resilience of their culture.
Curated by Felicity Pope and Olinda Casimiro

September 30, 2024 – February 28, 2025.

Flags at Half Mast
Municipal flags across the Town of Cobourg will be at half-mast on Monday, September 30.

In 2023, Cobourg Municipal Council passed a resolution to permanently display the “Every Child Matters” flag on the flagpole in Rotary Harbourfront Park. The flag permanently flies not only as a commemoration but also a commitment to remembering Indigenous lives that were tragically lost within the residential school system which spanned over 150 years, with the nearest such institution to Cobourg being situated in the Alderville First Nations Reserve.