The City of Portage la Prairie has officially proclaimed September 22 to 26 as Truth and Reconciliation Week, leading into the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. The announcement was marked by a proclamation and flag-raising ceremony at City Hall on September 19, where community members gathered to honour survivors of residential schools and reflect on the importance of learning from Canada’s past.
Mayor Sharilyn Knox delivered the proclamation, pointing to Portage’s unique role as an urban hub surrounded by four First Nations and the Manitoba Métis Federation’s Southwest Region. The city is home to about 4,000 Indigenous residents, making up nearly a quarter of the population. Knox said that with such deep connections, reconciliation must be more than a symbolic gesture.
“Sometimes September 30th gets deemed a celebration when that’s not what it’s meant to be,” Knox says. “It’s meant to be a time of learning and understanding, recognizing that for us to move forward as a community, we also have to look at what happened in our past, how we can make change, and honour the people that went through it, lived through it, and are here to tell their stories.”
The mayor encouraged residents to use the week as a chance to seek out resources, reflect, and participate in community events. A highlight will be the annual walk on September 30, which begins at City Hall and ends at the National Indigenous Residential School Museum. This year’s walk carries added significance, as Phyllis Webstad, the founder of Orange Shirt Day and the voice behind its powerful message, Every Child Matters, will be attending as a special guest.
For residential school survivors like Liz Merrick of Long Plain First Nation, the ceremony was deeply personal. Merrick attended residential schools in both Birtle and Portage during the late 1960s and early 1970s. She adds that the city’s proclamation is an important acknowledgment of painful truths that too often went unspoken.
“It’s a time of reflection, like the mayor said. It’s a time for us to remember those who never made it home and also for the ones who are still here, but are having a hard time,” Merrick explains.
Her experience is shared across generations, as her mother, sister, and daughter also attended residential schools. She believes that history makes public recognition and remembrance even more meaningful.
“It started as just a few people walking, and I’ve noticed in recent years, as more of the truth and reconciliation is happening throughout the country, that the more people are attending. It's a good feeling to know it's being acknowledged and remembered."
Merrick also invited the public to another event being planned in October at Keeshkeemaquah Hall. The gathering, which will honour northern residents who were sent to residential schools in the region, is open to everyone and offers another chance for the wider community to come together, learn, and reflect.
As Portage la Prairie heads into Truth and Reconciliation Week, both community leaders and survivors are urging residents to see the week as more than a single day of remembrance, but as part of a continuing effort to better understand Indigenous history, culture, and perspectives.
"They're acknowledging it in schools now, so our kids don't have to be ashamed of it. They're proud to wear their orange t-shirt. It feels like the whole country comes together to share the day, and I really appreciate that."
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