The KIJHL has released the following statement in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:
The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League joins Canada’s Indigenous peoples and all Canadians to recognize September 30th as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
We have learned a great deal over the past year about the extent of the injustice endured by Canada’s Indigenous peoples, particularly the terrible discovery of the unmarked graves of thousands of Indigenous children at residential schools in British Columbia and across our nation.
We are grateful for the privilege to play the game of hockey, but today we pause and ask our players, staff and fans to put their focus where it belongs: honouring those who survived residential schools and those who did not, and gaining a deeper understanding of a tragic chapter in Canada’s history.
