An orange bench has been placed at Memorial Park in downtown Bracebridge as “another commitment” by the Town of Bracebridge on the path towards Truth and Reconciliation.
Bracebridge Mayor Rick Maloney was part of the dedication ceremony that included Elder Chris Stock, members of the Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table, Bracebridge councillors, and Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith.
“[This is] another commitment by the community that we journey together with our Indigenous brothers and sisters and recognize that if we’re ever going to get to real Truth and Reconciliation, it’s through actions not words,” said Maloney.
Stock was there to do the Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen – which translates to “what we say before we do anything important” in English. Stock said it’s also known as the Thanksgiving Address. “It’s the original instruction given to us by The Creator after he created human beings,” he explained.
The orange bench, which is steps away from the sidewalk that faces Manitoba St., features a plaque that reads “remembering the thousands of children who never returned home, their families, survivors of the residential school system and the 60s scoop. May all who sit here reflect and honour their resilience and courage. There can be no reconciliation without truth.”
Stock complimented the placement of the bench. “It’s something tangible,” he said “You can touch it, you can feel it, you can see it.” Stock added that symbolism, like the bench, is an important part of Indigenous culture, noting the medicine wheel and dream catchers as other forms of it.
“Whether you live in the community, whether you’re visiting our community, it becomes very clear what kind of community you’re in when you see these visual representations of our commitment,” added Maloney.
The park also has benches celebrating pride and a purple bench – also known as Barb’s Bench – in honour of victims of domestic violence.
Maloney said Truth and Reconciliation is about listening. “We have to listen,” he continued. “We have to understand the pain and the challenges our Indigenous communities have endured from the actions of greater society.”
Stock said the bench gives everyone passing by an opportunity to remember what happened at residential schools, remember those we lost, and listen to the stories of survivors. “For it to be in Memorial Park, it seems so fitting,” he added.
On the path towards Truth and Reconciliation, Stock says we all need to ask ourselves how we can do better and what we can do to be good neighbours. “That’s basically what it comes down to,” he said.