Minister non-committal on Sept. 30 stat holiday

By: Winnipeg Free Press staff Posted: 4:18 PM CDT Friday, Mar. 24, 2023

Labour Minister Jon Reyes would not promise to make the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday this year.

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Labour Minister Jon Reyes would not promise to make the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday this year.

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This article was published 24/03/2023 (939 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Labour Minister Jon Reyes would not promise to make the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday this year.

He said Friday conversations continue over whether Manitobans should have Sept. 30 off.

The last day in September was proclaimed National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by the federal government in 2021 to honour residential school survivors and ensure public commemoration of the legacy of residential school systems, in keeping with call-to-action No. 80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

People wear orange shirts to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in September 2022. (John Woods / The Canadian Press)

The Manitoba government’s own labour management review committee has recommended the day be akin to Remembrance Day, meaning all non-essential businesses would close and employees who work would be paid at time-and-a-half, but there would be no compensation for those with the day off.

“I don’t know if right now I’m in the position to talk about that,” Reyes said when asked about his government’s plans for the fall at an unrelated press conference Friday. “There are talks in place with stakeholders with regards to that and we want to have a positive outcome with regards to benefit the province of Manitoba.”

NDP MLA Ian Bushie introduced a private member’s bill last fall that proposed Sept. 30 be listed as a general holiday in Manitoba’s Employment Standards Code, alongside New Year’s Day, Louis Riel Day, Canada Day and others. It passed second reading on March 16.

It has also received support from First Nations organizations, including the Southern Chiefs’ Organization and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, who have emphasized the day must be one of remembrance.

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick has supported making the day a statutory holiday, saying it would be a step towards reconciliation efforts.

“Having a statutory holiday would mean that First Nations could take time to gather in ceremony with friends and family without the burden of sacrificing their income,” Merrick said this month.

There is no guarantee the bill will pass before the end of the spring session of the legislature.