Oshawa installing Orange Crosswalk to commemorate children of residential schools
Published October 26, 2021 at 3:34 pm
An Orange Crosswalk to commemorate the children of the residential system is coming soon to downtown Oshawa.
Oshawa Council approved the idea Monday of honouring the children, their families and communities of residential schools with a crosswalk to serve as a reminded of the painful legacy of the forced assimilation of indigenous youth at the schools between 1834 and 1997.
Staff has now been instructed to consult with Chief Kelly LaRocca of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, the Oshawa and Durham Region Metis Council, Bawaajigewan Aboriginal Community Circle and the Community Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee on the design and installation of the crosswalk.
“This is something I’d love to see move forward,” Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter said, adding he would like to see the crosswalk near the intersection of Athol and Charles streets, where the Bawaajigewan Indigenous Student Centre is located.
(The City of Pickering is currently installing their Orange Crosswalk at the corner of Valley Farm Road and The Esplanade North. Local indigenous residents have painted seven feathers on the crosswalk to reflect the Seven Grandfather Teachings – Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, and Truth.)
Staff is expected to report back to Oshawa Council in mid-December.
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