Message from the President

In June 2021, the Federal Government of Canada passed Bill C-5 naming September 30 as a federal statutory holiday in observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As we approach the first anniversary of that inaugural day of observance, I felt it would be fitting to share some thoughts.

The day honours the children who never returned home, and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. As a community of Geospatial Professionals serving both the Public and Private sectors throughout Ontario, we felt it appropriate to show our support.

We are certainly encouraged by events of the past year, including the creation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as well as the historic visit by Pope Francis to begin the journey of healing, understanding and reconciliation.

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, which is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. With that in mind, I dug out out some t-shirts we had printed a few years back. The words that were printed on the front certainly seem appropriate, in the sense that we must all continue to inform ourselves with respect to the history of the residential school system and the impacts it has had, to be inspired by the strength of the survivors and their families, to be involved in the act of reconciliation, and to recognize that yes, every child does matter.

On Friday, September 30^th, I will be wearing this Orange t-shirt, and I encourage all of our members to observe this important day in their own way.

Peter Hettstedt
President, BeSpatial Ontario