Ontario’s Education Minister, Paul Calandra, instructed the supervisor of Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board to revise its flag policy to allow the raising of the survivors’ flag on September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Melanie Cormier, an Oji-Cree mother from Bearskin Lake First Nation, felt a sense of welcome when she saw the Every Child Matters flag displayed at local Catholic schools for Truth and Reconciliation Day. Cormier, whose family includes residential school survivors, regularly presents on Indigenous history and the impact of residential schools at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) schools where her daughters attend.
However, this year on September 30, the Every Child Matters flag will not be displayed due to the school board’s updated flag policy, which limits the flags that can be flown to only the Canadian flag, provincial and territorial flags, and the school board flag. This restriction also applies to other flags such as those from nearby Indigenous communities like the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Cormier expressed concern that the policy change could send a negative message to students and erase the progress made in acknowledging Indigenous experiences. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is currently under provincial supervision for financial mismanagement.
Despite the disappointment, stakeholders like recent graduate Tia Simone and her mother Charlene Simone, who are advocates for Indigenous students within the board, hope for future revisions to the flag policy to better reflect a commitment to reconciliation and inclusivity.
