Heritage Park to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Calgary, AB – On Sept. 30, Heritage Park will recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a full day of events that celebrate Indigenous ways of knowing and learning of the shared complex past and the resilience and strength of the Indigenous peoples.

The Flags in Heritage Plaza will be lowered in a ceremony starting at 9:30 am. A blessing will be shared by 30 children from the De La Salle Blackfeet School and songs of remembrance will be sung by members of our Indigenous community. At 10:30 in the Celebration Field, several speakers will participate in a program called “Honouring the Survivors of Intergenerational Trauma.” Everyone is invited to participate in a round/fellowship dance at noon, also in the Celebration Field.

From 1-4, residential school survivor Arnie Narcisse will share his story of resilience at the Gleichen School exhibit. Gleichen School was the settler school that stood across the road from Old Sun Indian Residential School. At 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., a guided Reconciliation Walking Tour will take guests to Heritage Park’s exhibits with a unique focus on stories of interaction and reconciliation among Indigenous peoples and those who settled Western Canada.

“The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is about raising awareness of the residential school system in Canada,” says Kevin Graham, Chief Operations Officer with Heritage Park. “It’s also about strengthening our relationships with our friends in the Indigenous community and recognizing the horrible legacy left in the wake of this flawed system.”

Members of the Indigenous community will receive free admission on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.2023 season rates apply for other guests.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Media Inquiries:

Dominic Terry

Strategic Communications Manager

403.519.3409

About Heritage Park Historical Village

Heritage Park is one of Canada’s largest living history museums and a registered charity. We are located on Treaty 7 territory, respecting the history, languages and cultures of the nations on whose traditional land we reside. All year long, Heritage Park connects hundreds of thousands of guests to specific times, places and events that were significant milestones in our collective past. Your support throughout the year helps preserve Heritage Park as an immersive educational and community hub and tell the diverse stories that communicate the multicultural history of Western Canada.