By Cecilia Nasmith
Canada Day in Cobourg would not be a big day of celebration in any event, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, Mayor John Henderson made an appeal at this week's council meeting for members of the community to make it a quiet, reflective occasion – gather with your family, maybe make that long-postponed visit to a loved one you've been unable to see for so many months.
While the suggestion is not quite in line with the calls some leaders have made not to celebrate Canada Day because of incidents in the news in recent weeks, Henderson had a sombre tone that began shortly after the territorial acknowledgment he reads at each council meeting, when he made mention of the 751 unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. This recent news followed by only a few weeks the announcement of 215 unmarked graves in British Columbia at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
As councillors rose to join him in the moment of reflection, each could be seen wearing the orange ribbon of remembrance - “to recognize we have to bring this up for discussion and education as we move beyond Canada Day,” the mayor said.
Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin thanked Small Business Facilitator Amy Seymour and Communications Manager Ashley Purdy for getting ribbons to each councillor, and Henderson displayed his orange T-shirt with hands coming together in a symbol of unity.
An alumnus of the University of Western Ontario and long-time resident of London, Ont., Henderson was also hit hard by the June 8 killing in that city that wiped out four of five members of a Muslim family.
“I hope we are all shocked by the senseless act that took place against someone of another faith,” he said.
“We will be engaging Cobourg, we will be engaging staff in getting out the message of unity. I believe through unity and discussion and understanding, our differences will make us richer in the long run.”
