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Overview

Residents were invited to have their say on amendments to the Employment Standards Act to establish the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September 30th) as a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories.  

Background

• On June 3, 2021 the federal Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) received Royal Assent, establishing a federal statutory holiday called the “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation” (NDTR).
• The new statutory holiday applies to employees in federally regulated workplaces, such as air transportation, domestic banks and authorized foreign banks, federal crown corporations, radio and television broadcasting, and telecommunication systems. The holiday will be observed on September 30th of each year, beginning in 2021.
• The new holiday was established in response to commitment #80 in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, which “calls upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
• The choice of September 30th is intended to build on the Orange Shirt Day movement, which is a date on which Canadians are encouraged to recognize the legacy of residential schools.
• The GNWT engaged in discussions with other provincial and territorial (PT) governments regarding how they would respond to the creation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in their jurisdictions, including whether the new holiday would be established as a statutory holiday, as a PT workforce holiday, or other. The GNWT is now looking to engage residents broadly on their views with respect to a new statutory holiday under the NWT Employment Standards Act.