Canoe Pilgrimage to launch in Midland on July 21
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Media AdvisoryYoung people leave Midland July 21 to paddle hundreds of kilometres, working toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
By helping both Indigenous and non-Indigenous to be immersed in each others’ customs and traditions for an entire month, the Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage (CCP) hopes to foster respect, trust, dialogue and hopefully friendships — the building blocks for reconciliation.
Who:Father Peter Bisson, SJ, (Provincial, Jesuits in English Canada), William Baird, (General Manager, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons), George Cornell, (Mayor of Tiny Township), Father Michael Knox, SJ, (Director, Martyrs’ Shrine), Gord McKay, (Mayor of Midland), Scott Warnock, (Mayor of Tay Township). What:Launch of the Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage, an 850-kilometre canoe trip in response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission When:Friday, July 21
Where:Launch is from Sainte-Marie Park, located off Wye Valley Road, adjacent to the bridge on Hwy. 12, over the Wye River, between Martyrs’ Shrine and Ste-Marie among the Hurons, 16164 Highway #12, Midland. The CCP itinerary below shows major landfalls, but please be advised there may be changes due to logistical considerations and weather-related contingencies.
For photos, video and news releases, please go to the Canoe Pilgrimage website. The Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage has been made possible by the generosity of donors including The Miller Group, the Ontario 150 Community Celebration Fund, the Canadian Heritage River System, Parks Canada, and Ontario Parks. Also thanks to Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and Martyrs’ Shrine for hosting the launch event on July 21. About the Canadian Canoe PilgrimageThe Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage (CCP) is a project inspired by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with the hope of encouraging intercultural and interreligious dialogue and learning. Participants, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, will be immersed in each other’s customs and traditions. Through this immersion, the goal is to foster respect, trust, dialogue and hopefully friendship — the building blocks for reconciliation.
About the Jesuits in English CanadaThe Jesuits, an order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church, have worked in Canada for more than 400 years. They have responsibility for the direction of schools, churches, retreat houses, and a variety of social justice ministries that span from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador to Vancouver, British Columbia. They have worked closely with the TRC and issued a public Statement of Reconciliation in 2013. The Jesuits are currently implementing the Calls to Action described by the TRC.
About Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
About Martyrs’ ShrineMartyrs’ Shrine is the National Shrine to the Canadian martyrs, celebrating its 90th season, and is a ministry of the Jesuits in English Canada. This house of prayer and home of peace honours the Jesuit missionaries and their companions who lived, worked, and died here more than 350 years ago. It is located in Midland, Ontario, in the heart of the Huron Confederacy of the 17th century. More than 110,000 visitors from around the world and from all cultural backgrounds are welcomed to the Shrine’s 75-acre landscaped grounds each year. More information may be found on their website. For news media and government information, please contact:
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