Special statement from Mayor Acker for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30, 2022
Read a transcript of the video below.


September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. On this day, Canadians are encouraged to wear orange to honour the thousands of survivors of residential schools. A Circle of Reconciliation will be held at noon on Sept. 30 at Central Park.

Flags at City facilities will be lowered to half-mast on Friday, Sept. 30, to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

Related links

Orange Shirt Society
Learn about Orange Shirt Day, related projects, and Indigenous companies you can buy an orange shirt from.

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Canada
Learn about the legacy of the Indian Residential School system through interactive maps, event and exhibition listings, and many other historical and educational resources.

Support services

If you need more support or information, these services are here to help:

Video transcript

Hello everyone, I'm Jeff Acker, Mayor of the City of Spruce Grove.

I want to begin by acknowledging that I am on Treaty 6 Territory, traditional lands of the First Nation and Métis people, who have lived and cared for this land for generations.

Their knowledge, languages, and culture are integral to our vibrant community of Spruce Grove.

Year round, and especially today, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, The City of Spruce Grove recognizes and honours our Indigenous brothers and sisters sharing their land with us in this great community.

We want to acknowledge today, and everyday, the children, families, and nations, who still continue to feel the impacts of the residential school system.

We are committed to understanding the truth and moving towards reconciliation by engaging in a number of opportunities to increase our own knowledge, including participating in learning and reflection activities within the community.

The 94 Calls to Action put forth by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission call on us to seek ways to establish and maintain trusted relationships based on the foundations of respect.

This means that as the City, we will not only review our approaches to day-to-day work serving the community, but we will also take action.

We want to deepen relationships with the Indigenous Peoples who live here in Spruce Grove and those who make their homes within the Nations in the tri-region, in a spirit of Reconciliation.

We encourage the community around us to keep reconciliation a continuous journey and to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, through learning and reflection, relationship building, and taking action in a way that is meaningful to you.

Thank you.