11 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,July 1,2021 insidehalton.com Please Stay Safe this Holiday. Don't Drink And Drive! Richard Li Broker 416-402-8866 476 Kerr Street (just south of Speers Road) 905-845-2933 www.oakvilleappliance.com Visit Our 6,000 sq.ft. Design Centre: Units 2-3, 333 Wyecroft Rd., Oakville 905.844.3332 www.aromakitchens.ca info@aromakitchens.ca Ask for John www.jmcconcrete.ca905-878-8595 J.M.CJ.M.C Concrete Interlocking LTD • stamped concrete • interlocking • exposed aggregate • flagstone • french curbs • retainingwalls • garage floors • free estimates Child Care is just around the corner! Spaces Available ymcaofoakville.org As the remains of Indig- enous children continue to be found at former residen- tial school sites, Halton is pushing the federal gov- ernment to declare a na- tional day of mourning and authorize an immediate search for additional un- marked and mass graves. Regional council unani- mously passed a motion during its latest meeting with these requests, along with a call for the Trudeau government to continue its efforts to implement the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Com- mission -- specifically ac- tions 71 to 76 regarding missing children and buri- al information. The resolution, put forth by Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Councillor Rory Nisan, al- so asks for a national ini- tiative to commemorate and protect residential school burial sites across Canada through a process that must be Indigenous- led and carried out through ceremony. "It's critical that we add our voice to those calling for the national day of mourning and finding the locations of these un- marked mass graves," said Nisan. During the meeting, council heard from Chief R. Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who said the discovery of the 215 chil- dren at the former Kam- loops residential school was "an awakening for the people of this land." "This is a call to respon- sibility, not only for those involved, but for all of us. I see this as a call to action," he said. "Let us choose to go forward together. Let's choose a path of under- standing, peace and friend- ship. Let this moment of sorrow be a light to guide us onto a better path." The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation were the original owners of the territory where Halton sits, and still have treaty lands in the region. Laforme said he appre- ciates and respects the re- lationship that has been developed between Halton and the Mississaugas of the Credit. "I look forward to work- ing together to address the crises that is before us," he said. In addition to the na- tional day of mourning mo- tion, regional council ap- proved several actions as part of its Indigenous rela- tionship building initia- tive. This included the en- dorsement of: • The Truth and Recon- ciliation Commission re- port and Calls to Action • The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples • An Indigenous land ac- knowledgement and its us- es • Permanently flying the flag of the Mississau- gas of the Credit First Na- tion at the Halton Regional Centre on Bronte Road in Oakville • A working partnership with Indigenous peoples and local First Nations, Métis and Inuit people to establish a Halton Indige- nous Advisory Group. "Endorsing this initia- tive to build meaningful re- lationships with Indige- nous peoples based on cul- tural understanding, em- pathy and respect is an essential part of Halton's responsibility for reconcil- iation and commemora- tion," said Regional Chair Gary Carr. "Indigenous peoples have been connected to these lands for generations and have helped build the foundation of our commu- nities that we enjoy today. These actions are a step in the right direction, but we know that more work still needs to be done, and I look forward to continuing these efforts together." Council also heard an update from its Indigenous advisor, Eddy Robinson, who spoke of the relation- ships he's helping Halton build with Indigenous communities. 'THIS IS A CALL TO RESPONSIBILITY' Chief R. Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Scott Gardner/Metroland file photo MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com NEWS HALTON URGES FEDS TO SEARCH ALL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SITES