Orange-wrapped tree trunks appear in Maple Ridge park

Twelve trees at Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge were wrapped in bright orange plastic to honour residential school survivors, their families and communities, and children who never came home.

Katzie First Nation Chief Grace George addressed about 80 people at the park bandstand on Friday, Sept. 11. The crowd included local politicians, school board officials and members of the public.

George, whose father survived St. Mary’s Residential School in Mission, spoke about misinformation and denialism she sees in news coverage and online, abuse at residential schools, and children’s bodies found on the grounds of schools across Canada. She said she chooses to focus her time and energy on building purpose and acknowledgement based on truth.

She noted that Canada’s last residential school closed in 1995, saying the legacy is not from hundreds of years ago but remains a recent impact on Indigenous peoples across the country.

Mayor Dan Ruimy said tree-wrapping ceremonies can prompt children to ask their parents why the trees are orange, opening further conversations. He said those conversations can help people understand what Canada has done to its First Nations and why truth and reconciliation matter.

A similar ceremony was held Sept. 9 at Spirit Square in Pitt Meadows. Deanna A’Huille of the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation in Fort St. James said her grandfather and both grandmothers were residential school survivors. Having attended other tree-wrapping ceremonies, she said taking part in this year’s Maple Ridge event was meaningful.

Michela Cardinal of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta said it was her first tree-wrapping event. Her grandmother was a residential school survivor, she said, and she wants people to know what happened in residential schools.

This year’s Maple Ridge ceremony, themed “Honouring the Truth: Past, Present and Future,” will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at Memorial Peace Park, 11968 224 St., Maple Ridge.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed across Canada each Sept. 30 to honour residential school survivors, their families and communities, and remember children who never returned home. More information about the local event is available at https://www.facebook.com/PLEAServicesBC .