Unveiling Our New Monument
On September 27th, we gathered for a deeply moving and profound eventβthe unveiling of our Truth and Reconciliation Monument, πππ©π€ππ©π ππππ ππ£πππ – πΎπ€π’ππ£π ππ€π’π. 𧑠This monument, located in the Town of Slave Lake and Government Centre’s courtyard, stands to honor the survivors and victims of the Indian Residential Schools in the Lesser Slave Lake Territory.
This powerful symbol represents our communityβs journey towards truth, healing, and reconciliation. The day was filled with emotions as we reflected on the lasting impacts of residential schools while coming together to honor the survivors and the children who never made it home.
This monument serves as a place of remembrance, resilience, and unityβa step forward in recognizing our shared history and the need for continued reconciliation.
Thank you to everyone who supported and contributed to making this monument possible, including our Executive Director Brenda Genaille, our MΓ©tis Wellness Coordinator Barbara Emmrich, our Consultation Coordinator Walter Andreef, the Government of Canada, the Town of Slave Lake, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL), West Fraser, and an anonymous donor.
We also extend our gratitude and recognition to the artist Louis Lavoie for the breathtaking painting featured on the monument that was based on the vision of Lorna Dancey. A heartfelt thank you goes out to a residential school survivor and our Elder Pearl Sandor for sharing experiences with us. We also extend our gratitude to the team at Truly Creative Marketing for the beautiful design elements on the monument including the beaded artwork, sweetgrass healing emblem, our logo, the layout of the monument, and our orange t-shirts. A grateful thank you goes out to Chastin Martel for the photographs of the event π
Our hope is that this monument will stand as a beacon of hope and healing for our community. πβΎοΈ