“I regret it.” Prime Minister addresses holiday during Truth and Reconciliation Day

Prime Minister makes vow to visit Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Nation

Prime Minister Trudeau says he regrets taking a personal trip to a popular western surfing destination during the nation’s first Truth and Reconciliation Day.

During a Wednesday media conference, the Prime Minister spoke about his recent family vacation to Tofino, British Columbia. “Travelling on September 30, was a mistake, and I regret it. The first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was a time for Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people alike to reflect and connect, think about the past, but also focus on the future,” Trudeau told reporters.

Trudeau added he had already spoken with the Chief of Tk’emlúps Nation on Tuesday and offered an apology for not following up on invitations to visit. “I want to thank Chief Casimir of the Kamloops for the conversation we had over the weekend, which I apologized for not being there with her and her community for this important day,” he said. “I committed to going to visit the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community in the coming weeks.”

“There’s a lot of work for us all to do, and I’m committed to doing it,” he concluded.

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation is near the site of the former Kamloops residential school where potentially hundreds of unmarked graves were found.

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