As flags across the province and around the country are flown at half-mast and people of all ages and experiences gather to grieve, I bow my head in sadness alongside all those to whom this pain is both new and not new.
In my role I have seen the effects of the trauma inflicted on Indigenous people. Met with bravery, courage, and a deep understanding of their essential place on these lands, the burden carried by survivors, family members and communities is a sad and heavy one.
I extend my hand to all those who suffer from the knowledge that 215 children were placed in an unmarked grave. Collectively we mourn their loss and stolen futures.
– The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario