Ontario wont support making Truth and Reconciliation Day a holiday for now: minister [Video]

Premier Doug Ford’s government will not support a New Democrat’s bill to make the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday in the province, the Indigenous affairs minister said Thursday.

But Greg Rickford left some wiggle room to declare the day a holiday in the future.

“We are not prepared to support a holiday for now,” he said in an interview.

“I don’t think until we get clear consensus from those Indigenous-led groups that the commemorative and memorializing activities should move forward, until we’ve heard from them and we haven’t.”

Ontario’s only First Nation representative at Queen’s Park, New Democrat Sol Mamakwa, tabled a bill earlier this month for his proposed Day of Reflection on Indian Residential Schools on Sept. 30, which has been colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day.

The bill had its second reading and debate on Thursday evening.

Mamakwa said the holiday would make Ontario a better place.

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