Arcand Reflects On Recent Visit To Rideau Hall

Arcand Reflects On Recent Visit To Rideau Hall

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 15:30

A high-profile residential school survivor from Saskatchewan says he was impacted by an event in Ottawa last week.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean was the honourary witness at a Truth and Reconciliation ceremony at Rideau Hall.

Jean was invited to bear witness to survivors’ stories as a part the ceremony called “Witnessing the Future.”

Eugene Arcand is the Saskatchewan representative for the Survivors Committee, and was apart of last week’s event.

He says he was moved by the Governor General’s response to survivors’ stories.

According to Arcand, it was a “powerful, uplifting event” — especially witnessing the Governor General “so genuinely expressing her feelings in regards to the effects that her visits have had her when she’s come across residential school pictures, the affect that the apology had on her”.

Arcand says the event’s theme was about moving forward, and notes it brought together survivors from across Canada and their children and grandchildren.