Justin Trudeau asks Canadian flag to fly at half-mast on Canada Day

In wake of finding hundreds of graves containing the child remains of residential school victims, there are increasing requests to cancel Canada Day celebrations  

Calls for Canada Day to be cancelled intensify after latest residential school discovery https://t.co/nXXNKaPaGe #Toronto #CanadaDay #215Children

— blogTO (@blogTO) June 24, 2021

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted today asking for the Canadian flag to remain at half-mast as people mourn the loss of these children's lives. 

As people across the country continue to honour the Indigenous children whose lives were taken far too soon, and as we reflect on the tragedy of residential schools, I have asked that the flag on the Peace Tower remain at half-mast for Canada Day.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 30, 2021

The flag flying at half-mast is to symbol the mourning of the Indigenous children whose lives were taken too soon. 

There have been over one-hundred replies to the tweet, some respecting the gesture:

Thank you, Prime Minister.

The best way we can BE Canada, is to pay our respects, learn our lessons, and address past wrongs. This is how we get better, and how we progress.

— Arthur Atkinson 🇨🇦 🏳️‍🌈 (@ArthurAtkinson0) June 30, 2021

And others requesting more action to be taken:

How about actually doing something concrete about indigenous peoples & their rights?? Merely paying lip service on Twitter will not anything. Wake up!!

— Sanatani to the core (@weRoneForever) June 30, 2021

The Ontario government announced that it will be giving $10M to help locate unmarked graves of Indigenous children who died at Canadian residential schools. 

Premier Doug Ford said in an announcement on June 15 that, "There is painful but necessary work ahead, and we must confront what happened for reconciliation to be achieved."

For those looking to support, there are numerous ways to support Indigenous communities in Canada. 

Many Toronto businesses, including Craig's Cookies, Honey's, and Two Hot Babes Coffee Co., will also be donating 100 per cent of their sales on July 1 to Indigenous communities. 

Others won't be celebrating at all and will be donating to Indigenous groups.