Undeterred by Rain, Calgarians Walk in Solidarity for Reconciliation

Press Release

June 24, 2025

Children, elders, Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants stood shoulder to shoulder under umbrellas, ponchos, and hoods, walking together in unity and remembrance. Their presence was a quiet but powerful act of resistance—against forgetting, against apathy, and against the systems that continue to harm Indigenous Peoples.

Jennifer Thompson, President of The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, addressed the colonial legacies tied to Fort Calgary and the role of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP).

“The Walk is a call to action,” Thompson said. “It’s a reminder that institutions like Fort Calgary and the NWMP were once complicit in policies that harmed Indigenous families, such as returning children who tried to escape residential schools. As an organization, reconciliation means committing to building reciprocal relationships with Indigenous Peoples and with the land.”

Jennifer Thompson, President, The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland

Shane Gauthier, CEO of the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary (AFCC), spoke about the ongoing challenges faced by many Indigenous Peoples, particularly those living in urban areas.

“Walking for 20 minutes in the rain is not difficult compared to what many people continue to endure,” Gauthier said. “This event is a tribute to the survivors and their families. It’s about acknowledging their strength and the long journey of healing.”

One of the most powerful moments of the event came from Elder Audrey Weasel Traveller of the Piikani Nation, who shared her personal story as a survivor of Sacred Heart Residential School. She spoke candidly about the trauma she and others experienced— being separated from their families, punished for speaking their language, and subjected to neglect and poor treatment.

“Residential schools were a failed experiment of assimilation,” she said. “Every school had a graveyard beside it. So many children ran away. So many never came home. Reconciliation starts with truth. And truth-telling is hard. But we can’t move forward until we acknowledge the scars, hold space for that pain, and walk together. Many survivors feel validated on days like today.”

Walking sticks symbolizing each of the 25 residential schools that existed in Alberta.

The walk this year was presented in partnership by The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, Trellis Society, Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, and Bow Valley College.

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