COGECO AND CBC both announced yesterday plans to broadcast special programming to honour the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
Cogeco announced “YourTV stations throughout Ontario will be airing special programming produced by Indigenous Peoples for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” a company press release says.
The programming, which will air from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., includes Cultural Mindfulness, directed by George Couchie, We Are Still Here, directed by Dwayne Cloes and Wawahte: Residential School Survivors, directed by John Sanfilippo.
“Wawahte was originally written by Kingston author Bob Wells in 2012,” said Sanfilippo, in the press release.
“At the time, it seemed few people were aware of Canada’s residential school system, and even fewer were willing to fully acknowledge it. Since then, we’ve seen a massive shift in Canada’s willingness to acknowledge the darkness of its past as well as its present, especially following the revelations of the past year.”
CBC’s programming marking the day will showcase First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and experiences. It will be broadcast on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC.ca, CBC Kids, CBC Radio One and CBC Music, a CBC press release says.
Programming includes a special broadcast hosted by Juno award-winning artist Elisapie at 8 p.m. (9 AT, 9:30 NT) on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One and CBC Listen.
The special will honour “the stories and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples affected by the tragedies of the residential school system in Canada, with musical tributes and ceremonies in Indigenous communities across the land,” the press release says.
It was “conceived and created by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) hosted by the University of Manitoba and produced by NCTR in collaboration with Insight Productions, in association with CBC/Radio-Canada and APTN.”
This will be followed by a new original documentary, We Know the Truth: Stories to Inspire Reconciliation, at 9 p.m. on CBC TV and CBC Gem.
CBC will also “deliver timely news features and special reports throughout the day from the CBC News Indigenous-led team investigating Residential Schools on The National, CBC News Network, World Report, The World at Six and at CBC.ca/Indigenous.
For the CBC’s full National Day for Truth and Reconciliation schedule, please click here.
Image borrowed from Canadian Heritage’s Twitter page.
