Truth And Reconciliation Day Won’t Be A Holiday In N.B.

New Brunswick will not treat the new National Day of Truth and Reconciliation as a provincial statutory holiday in the province.

The new federal statutory holiday received Royal Assent in early June after it was passed unanimously in the Senate.

A Government of Canada news release said the day will provide an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.

Premier Blaine Higgs said the provincial government is committed to identifying ways to acknowledge Sept. 30 as a day of recognition.

“Our government encourages everyone to use this day as an opportunity to consider what each of us can do as individuals to advance reconciliation and help to create a better, more inclusive province,” Higgs said in a statement Wednesday.

“While September 30th will be observed in New Brunswick, it will not be a Statutory Holiday.”

Federally regulated workplaces will be closed but all provincial services in New Brunswick will remain open.

Because Sept. 30 will not be a statutory holiday, it will be left up to individual private businesses to decide how they will mark the day.

“In solidarity with Indigenous peoples across Canada, we urge all New Brunswickers to wear orange to honour the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and to be reminded of their continuing strength and resilience,” said Higgs.