KAMSACK — In recognition of Sept. 30 being the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a public barbecue was served on the front lawn of the town hall on Sept. 29, marking the third consecutive year that such a barbecue was held.
By 11 a.m., the burgers were sizzling on the barbecue and Ken Thompson, the Kamsack fire chief, was stirring the huge tray of onions being fried, while other Town of Kamsack employees, firefighters and elected officials served the buns and distributed cutlery, plates and napkins.
“Everyone was invited to attend the barbecue,” said Kamsack Mayor Beth Dix.
The barbecue was made possible due to donations totalling $1,500 made by Legacy Co-op, Kamsack Pizza and Grill and Petro-Canada, while Pattison Agriculture donated the use of the propane barbecue, said Michael Thom, Kamsack’s bylaw enforcement officer, who added that they were prepared to cook and serve a total of 360 hamburgers.
Sept. 30 honours the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities, said information on the Government of Canada website. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
Both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day take place on Sept. 30, the information said. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters.” The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.
