The building was named after one of the Fathers of Confederation, Hector-Louis Langevin, a man who was also responsible for the creation and implementation of the Indian Residential School system in Canada. In 2008, Canada formally apologized for the Indian Residential Schools and recognized the tragedy that occurred and continues to occur due to ongoing intergenerational effects.
"An apology means nothing if action doesn't remedy the injustice." MP Saganash explained, "Every day at work, I am reminded of the man who dreamed up the school where I was sent, purposefully to sever my connection to my family and my nation."
The letter, signed by four multi-party Members, reminds the Prime Minister of his commitment to respect the monumental work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The request is also supported by the Assembly of First Nations, the Congress of Aboriginal People and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
"I would like Parliament to recognize that this is not a partisan request: this is an opportunity for collective action to take one more step towards a more complete telling of this nation's history." MP Saganash went on to say,"The 150th birthday of colonial Canada is a chance to begin dismantling the domination and exclusion of Indigenous Peoples."
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NDP Critic for Canadian Heritage Peter Julian issued the following statement:
"It has come to our attention that a consultant for a federally funded anti-racism project has a disturbing track record of spewing hate speech online against Jewish and francophone communities. This is completely unacceptable. We call on the Minister of Heritage to take drastic action and terminate his contract.
NDP Heritage Critic Peter Julian issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement by Hockey Canada is another attempt to delay the important and urgent work to deal with the toxic culture in this organization. While a former Supreme Court Justice is a credible appointment to conduct the review into Hockey Canada, this won’t be the first time the organization undergoes this process.
NDP critic for Canadian Heritage, Peter Julian, made the following statement:
“Canadians are horrified by the incidents of sexual assault and by what they’re hearing from Hockey Canada. They are left with many questions about how this toxic culture is allowed to persist in our sports organizations and what the government is actually doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again.