Drums echo through Fort McMurray as community marks Truth and Reconciliation Day
FORT MCMURRAY, AB. — The sound of Indigenous drumming reverberated through downtown Fort McMurray Tuesday morning, echoing off buildings and resonating in the hearts of those gathered to honour survivors and remember the children who never came home from residential schools.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation began locally with a community walk from Jubilee Plaza to SMS Equipment Place, organized in partnership with the Athabasca Tribal Council and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
Mayor Sandy Bowman issued a proclamation acknowledging the lasting scars left by schools in the region, including Holy Angels Residential School in Fort Chipewyan, which operated until 1974, and day schools in Janvier, Fort McKay and Fort McMurray. He said the municipality remains committed to reconciliation through stronger relationships with Indigenous governments and partners.
Chief Allan Adam, president of the Athabasca Tribal Council, told the gathering the walk was an opportunity to come together in healing and justice. Dennis Fraser, the municipality’s director of Indigenous and Rural Relations, said the event showed survivors and their families that “Every Child Matters.”
At the provincial level, Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney called the day a solemn reminder of injustice and a call to meaningful action. She pointed to Alberta programs such as the Indigenous Learning Initiative, which has reached more than 21,000 public servants, and economic tools like the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation that she said support Indigenous-led solutions.
“Reconciliation is much more than just a day — it’s a shared commitment we must carry forward together,” Sawhney said.
Nationally, the federal government described reconciliation as a “generational task” lived and practised daily. The statement recalled the testimonies of the more than 6,600 survivors who spoke before the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission, stressing Canada’s responsibility to act.
Ottawa said it continues to support searches for unmarked graves, advance the Calls to Action and Calls for Justice, and uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, we honour survivors and the children who never returned home,” the statement said. “We pledge to build a future where survivors are honoured with remembrance, with justice, and with a stronger Canada.”
Support is available through the 24-hour National Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 and the Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310 or hopeforwellness.ca.
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