United Church Calls for Unprecedented Public Attention to June 11 Apology

TORONTO, June 5 – The United Church of Canada is calling on its own membership and all Canadians to stop whatever they are doing at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, to watch or listen to Prime Minister Stephen Harper deliver Canada’s apology to residential school survivors and their families.

“We know that many First Nations communities are already planning gatherings to mark this historic event. But they should not be alone in recognizing that this is a significant moment in Canadian history,” explains the United Church’s Moderator, the Right Rev. David Giuliano.Giuliano says the words spoken by the Prime Minister on June 11 will carry far more weight and meaning if Canada’s First Nations peoples can see that other Canadians are standing in solidarity with them on this day.

The church is hoping to encourage a level of public engagement in the event that would be unprecedented, explains the Rev. James Scott, The United Church of Canada’s General Council Officer for Residential Schools.

“Everyone, whether they are a private citizen, or a corporate or civic body, has the capacity to do this – to stop and to listen to the apology,” says Scott. “What we need now is motivation and momentum.”

Scott explains that Canadians who have heard the story of Canada’s residential schools know why this level of public attention is warranted.

“The legacy of residential schools is something for which we are all accountable. It is a legacy for which an apology is sorely needed and long-awaited,” says Scott.

Giuliano adds that the occasion of the June 11 national apology is particularly important because it will focus attention on the need for public engagement in the five-year process of Canada’s recently launched Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“The June 11 apology offers the opportunity to begin the process of healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation,” says Giuliano.

He adds that the United Church would like this invitation to spark a substantive grass-roots response. The church hopes that millions of Canadians, either individually or collectively, will stop for a moment on June 11 to take stock of our history.

Says Scott, “This is an opportunity for all Canadians to signal their commitment to a renewed relationship of respect, equality, and justice between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country.”

For further information: Mary-Frances Denis, Communications Officer, The United Church of Canada, (416) 231-7680 ext. 2016 (office), 1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll-free), (416) 885-7478 (cell), (416) 766-0057 (home), mdenis@united-church.ca