Reflecting on Canada Day:  A time to listen, learn and act

As Canada Day approaches, CMHA Huron Perth encourages reflection, not just celebration.

For many, July 1 is a day of pride and community. But for many Indigenous peoples, it’s also a painful reminder of a colonial legacy that continues to shape life today. The impacts of residential schools, land dispossession and systemic discrimination are still present-day realities, with lasting effects on mental health and well-being.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued 94 Calls to Action highlight Canada’s responsibility to dismantle systems that produce and perpetuate harm. According to the Yellowhead Institute’s most recent (2023) update, only 13 have been fully implemented—highlighting that progress has largely stalled in recent years.

CMHA branches across Ontario are at different points in our journey toward reconciliation. Some are building relationships with Indigenous partners, while others are taking early steps to learn, listen and reflect.

Across Ontario, as a collective we are committed to creating culturally safer spaces, supporting Indigenous-led mental health initiatives and increasing awareness of Indigenous histories, perspectives and healing practices. Many branches are working to embed cultural safety into services and to provide training that deepens staff understanding of colonial harms and Indigenous worldviews.

This work is ongoing—and we know we have more to do. Instead of seeing reconciliation as a checklist, we see it as a long-term commitment to change, accountability and respect.

CMHA Huron Perth acknowledges that our work takes place on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples. This Canada Day, we invite our staff and community to deepen their understanding and connections through local cultural experiences.

We are honoured to spotlight Gallery Indigena in Stratford, a family-run gallery founded in the early 1970s by Erla Boyer, which continues to promote Indigenous art—from Inuit sculpture to Iroquois carvings and Northwest Coast pieces. With its current location at 69 Ontario Street, the gallery showcases works by artists such as Susan Point and Maxine Noel. We encourage community members and staff to visit Gallery Indigena over the Canada Day weekend to support Indigenous artists and engage with the stories, histories, and resilience reflected in their work.

Reconciliation is ongoing, often uncomfortable and always necessary.

This Canada Day, we invite you to hold space for the truth, honour Indigenous voices and join us in working toward a more just and equitable future for all.

Here’s a reflection prompt: Have you ever thought about your relationship to the land you’re on? What would change if you saw the ground beneath your feet not as “Canada,” but as territory with a name, a history and caretakers?

Read the Yellowhead Institute’s 2023 Calls to Action Update: https://yellowheadinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/YI-TRC-C2A-2023-Special-Report-compressed.pdf