Observing National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

This Saturday, September 30th, marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, a critical acknowledgment of the tragic legacy of Canada’s residential schools and a day of commemoration, mourning and reflection honoring and recognizing the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

Public commemoration of the painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is an essential component of the reconciliation process. Our recent growth into Canada sparked a real need for the entire FirstLight team in the U.S. and Canada alike to learn about this sad chapter in history and understand the lasting effects and implications that it brings into society and relationships today. As an operator of clean energy facilities in Canada and the U.S. that are on Indigenous Traditional Territory, we recognize our duty to participate in these challenging conversations, amplify indigenous messages, continue our own education on Indigenous issues in Canada and the U.S., and support reconciliation for the resilience and livelihood of all Indigenous People.

We also know that words are empty without action. In addition to this public affirmation of support, we have provided educational resources to our team to encourage their learning process, made an initial donation to the Orange Shirt Society, a non-profit supporting Indian Residential School Reconciliation, and launched a more comprehensive process to inform our long-term strategy to support and uplift Indigenous communities in our service areas and beyond.

Today, we affirm our commitment to supporting reconciliation, and every day, we stand together with the Indigenous People of Canada and the families of the children who never made it home and with the Survivors of residential schools.