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Niagara Falls
Friday, March 29, 2024
Editorial: Plenty for which to be thankful

At the risk of repeating ourselves, with Thanksgiving Day officially in the rear-view mirror, let's reflect a bit on a few of the things for which Niagara-on-the-Lake can be thankful.

To the NOTL Rotary Club, which has its fingers in so many pies. Thanks for some of your latest projects, like the Holiday House Tour and your commitment to eradicate polio worldwide.

To Newark Neighbours, for always being there for those in need, no matter what. And to the volunteers who make it happen.

To the restaurants of NOTL, which offer great dining options 52 weeks of the year and have weathered a pandemic that still is hitting them hard: many of our eateries this past weekend offered timely Thanksgiving options that were so popular some restos ran out of turkey. Well done.

To the keepers of our history, including but not limited to, the NOTL Museum, Friends of Fort George, the volunteers at the historical society and the NOTL Legion, Scott Finlay and his alter-ego Maj.-Gen. Isaac Brock. You all make sure we will not forget our past.

To the Queenston Residents Association, RiverBrink Art Museum, Willowbank Estate and Willowbank Studio, who teamed up to plan a walkabout and chance for people to literally Explore Queenston this Saturday. We urge everyone to visit.

To the Niagara Regional Native Centre, which in this era of truth and reconciliation, is working to keep Indigenous issues front and centre in Niagara. And people like Elder Albert Choken, profiled here last week, who works with Indigenous youth and men, and also keeps important customs alive.

To all the schools of NOTL, for making sure the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was marked and that our children will grow up knowing about the atrocities of the past.

One of the most remarkable commemorations was at Crossroads Public School in Virgil, where students all contributed to a display containing thousands of orange cutout hands representing Indigenous children lost during their time in Canada’s residential school system.

These aren’t easy topics to tackle, especially with young children.

The history of abuse, death, cultural genocide and the overlooking of all those things by Canadian institutions, churches, government, media and more is a difficult subject, but an important one for our children to learn as they grow. It's something that should have happened long ago.

We commend principal Kate Fish and everyone at Crossroads for their efforts to educate students and foster an environment where this isn’t just one day of learning, but continuous teaching about our darkest times.

 

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