National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

This Tuesday, September 30th, will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As a community, Coquitlam Metro-Ford is encouraging everyone to take time to reflect on the history of residential schools and colonial violence and to honour the lives lost, either by educating yourself or by attending one of the memorial ceremonies held across the province. 

We encourage all members to join us in wearing orange shirts to honour all of those who have survived residential schools and to commemorate all of those who have not. Wearing orange is symbolic to the experience of residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad and the orange shirt is a representation of the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem experienced by generations of Indigenous peoples impacted by the legacy of residential schools.

Any individuals wanting to purchase orange shirts and/or make a donation can do so through local organization Hope and Health: https://www.hopeandhealth.org

All teams scheduled with practices and players registered for Club programming, are encouraged to hold a moment of reflection prior to the start of the session to acknowledge the significance of Truth & Reconciliation Day. We support and respect our members and their decision to attend soccer on Tuesday, and we only ask that individuals communicate their availability to their team appropriately. 

We acknowledge that Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club plays and gathers on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation). We thank the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm who continue to live on these lands and care for them, along with the waters and all that is above and below.