On the day leading up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a special walk is being held in Wallaceburg on Friday morning.
The second annual Healing Walk and Gathering will begin at the Wallaceburg Library on James Street at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend and everyone is encouraged to wear orange in honour of residential school victims and survivors.
Leela Thomas, a program manager from Walpole Island, said after participating in last year’s walk, she learned that the event can become somewhat emotional for those involved.
“It was the realization of all of the loss that we’ve had — loss of language, loss of culture, loss of community in a sense. So there is a lot of healing,” she said. “Even to this day, you talk to survivors of residential schools and it’s very hard for them to talk about it.”
The walk will wrap up at Civic Square Park and will be followed by a ceremony at 11 a.m. that will include guest speakers, who will share their experiences and ideas about healing.
“You’ll hear firsthand from some of our residential school survivors from Walpole Island,” said Thomas.
For more information about events taking place in Chatham-Kent this week and about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, click here.