November 14, 2013 STATEMENT FROM ABORIGINAL AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS MINISTER ERIC ROBINSON ON EXTENSION OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION It was very welcome news to hear today the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been granted a one-year extension. I, along with many others, have been advocating for such an extension for many months now and I am pleased the Government of Canada and the Ontario Superior Court have granted this extension until June 30, 2015. This extended period of time will allow the commission to complete its very valuable work on behalf of all those who suffered at Indian residential schools. The commission has been pivotal in telling the stories that need to be heard by all Canadians. The emotional and physical hurt that was inflicted continues to impact families and survivors to this day. The intergenerational effects of the schools are felt across this country and it has been only through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that many victims have been able to begin the healing process. The necessary healing and reconciliation cannot occur overnight but this extension gives hope to thousands of survivors. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been able to investigate and bring justice to the experiences of which residential school survivors were the unwilling victims. We must continue to bring these injustices to light to ensure they are never repeated again and so Canadians better understand the extent of the damage caused by residential schools and inflicted upon generations of Aboriginal people in this country.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 21:07:45 +0000