Penticton resident Anne Benn wanted to do something meaningful on this first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. So she got on a Penticton-focused Facebook group and invited folks to take a walk with her.
The walk would start at noon today at the Peach Ice Cream Shop on the Okanagan Lake waterfront and travel five kilometers, culminating at a Residential School memorial on the Penticton Indian Band lower reserve called "Bringing our Children Home." The official event end time was pegged at 2:15.
The distance was not random. Nor was the end time.
Five kilometers translates to approximately 6,000 steps, which is the upper range of the estimated number of Indigenous children who perished across the nation at Canada's Residential schools. And 2:15 equates to 215, the exact number of children's remains found buried in May of this year at the Kamloops Residential School.
By noon, the sidewalk surrounding the Peach was filled with orange-shirted walkers. PentictonNow estimates 200-plus people turned up, a number that put a brief smile on the face of the organizer.
"I'm shocked and amazed at how many are here today," Benn told us just before addressing the crowd. "It's wonderful."
"I was just looking for something to do today to honour what happened. I needed…something. I wanted to go for a walk today and I wanted some of my friends to join me."
Benn didn't speak long with us. She said she wanted to spend time honouring the crowd. And we were just fine with that.
Part of the growing throng was Penticton's Debbie Verhaeghe, who brought along her daughter and her hubby, her grandkids and a good friend, and didn't mince words.
"My mom's native and she's a survivor," she said. "She hates the nuns and the priests, and I didn’t understand while I was growing up. But now I know. This is a big part of me now."
Penticton's Selena Rudolph and daughter Ashley stood quietly in the middle of it all.
"We're here to pay tribute and support our Indigenous people," said Selena. "We heard of the event a few days ago, and it's such a good thing to see how big it is and that people are utilizing the day. I'm really proud of Penticton today."
A little more than an hour later and the majority of the walkers had completed the journey. At the memorial, upon which lay children's clothing and schoolbooks, were a number of PIB members, several of whom drummed, sang and played instruments, and some who spoke of their heart-wrenching personal experiences in the Residential School system.
The crowd was quiet and fully engaged. Many shed tears as the stories unfolded.
By now, the sunshine that bathed the start of the walk at the Peach had long since disappeared. In its place was a continuous rain and a bank of virtually indistinguishable dark grey clouds. It was somehow fitting.
Later, a bus donated for the afternoon by local business Coyote Cruises transported attendees back to the starting line. And an event that many undoubtedly hope will continue in the years ahead was over.
