When visiting EHM, you’ll notice a bright new addition to the front of the building. Our Board of Directors and Spiritual Care Committee, gathered to raise an Every Child Matters flag, reaffirming our pledge to work alongside local Indigenous communities as changemakers.
At EHM, we see the harmful impact of Residential Schools every day. We are actively connected to the lives of Indigenous people—wonderful EHM community members and tenants who experience racism and abuse every day, living with the harmful legacy of colonialism. In recognition of these ongoing societal issues, EHM has renewed its efforts to participate in Indigenous community building through a journey of listening, learning, and action.
We invited Elder Loretta Watetch to join us for the flag raising, and speak to us about the impact Residential Schools had on her and her family. Her words were reminders of why we need to do this work, and how powerful the simple act of listening can be.
“Moments like these are so powerful. They give us an opportunity to reconcile relationships, continue healing, honour differences, share stories, and generate mutual respect amongst all of us; children of one Creator.” – Rev. Bob Smith, EHM Board Member
Every child matters. That’s at the heart of the Truth and Reconciliation process, which asks us to remember the past as we move forward—into a co-created future that acknowledges and overcomes past inequities. The flags that we’ve raised at our Adelaide St. Residence and Portland Place will remind us of that credo, as visible emblems of our long-term reconciliation journey at EHM.
Please join us at EHM as local changemakers, in solidarity with our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit friends across Turtle Island. To read more about EHM’s commitments and actions, click here.