The Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre (SLSFSC) is holding a series of activities this week to focus on Truth and Reconciliation, cumulating Friday, Sept. 30 with a free commemoration event and a separate "Every Child Matters" Day Camp.

The free community event begins at 2 p.m. on Friday with a prayer and story by an Elder, followed by singing and drumming by the Rock Creek Drum Group, and Indigenous powwow dancers from Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 lands. Free bannock and jam will be available to the first 200 attendees.

Catriona Hill, SLSFSC director of experience, says the public commemoration event is an opportunity to show our collective commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. It's also being timed so it doesn't overlap with other events being staged that day.

"It's going to be a great experience for people to come down and recognize or show their respect for the challenges that our Indigenous people have experienced, past, present, and future, and really engage and take action, which is what the day is all about."

"This is an opportunity to engage that dialogue, having those conversations and appreciating this is something we need to do to better society. We need to recognize the intergenerational trauma that has been caused by residential schools, and we need to talk about how we can, as a society, help with that healing, how we can be mutually respectful, and how we can be more inclusive within our society."

Weather permitting, it will be held outside of the main entrance of the centre. If necessary, it will be moved indoors.

Project of HeartSome of the wooden tiles already coloured for Project at Heart since Monday. They will be available to colour in the main lobby of SLSFSC until Friday.

Colour Wooden Tiles for Project of Heart

Right now, people are invited to participate in the Project of Heart. The centre has joined this national art-based education project that brings awareness to the history of Indigenous people in Canada and specifically commemorates those impacted by the residential school system.

In the main lobby of the centre you can colour small wooden tiles that will be compiled to make up a large mosaic artifact.

Since Monday, people have been colouring the tiles and can continue to do so until Friday.

The first of a series of one-foot square mosaics will be on display during Friday's event.

More information on this national initiative can be found here,

Every Child Matters Day Camp

A Friday day camp at the centre will focus on cultural awareness and appreciation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Being combined with regular day camp activities are a land appreciation walk along the Bow River, drumming, and Indigenous sports. Free bannock and jam will also be served.

Kevin Octavio, rec program supervisor, has spent the last five years in Whitehorse, YT.

"I got to work with a lot of Indigenous groups and partnered with them for activities, so bringing that experience and sharing that experience with Cochrane and the Family Sports Centre is extremely important to me."

There is a fee for the day camp and advance registration is required. You can sign up here.

Michelle Everett, SLSFSC sales and marketing manager, is proud of how their team is making this a truly special commemoration.

"I'm really proud of our team and what we were able to pull together in a short amount of time and continue to follow our mandate to bring the community together for more than just sports and activities, but for important events like this. To Catriona's point, we just need to help people know what to do on this special day and how to recognize it, and we're just honoured that we can do it here."

flag raisingAn "Every Child Matters" flag has been raised at the centre. From left, Barry Knobbe and Bonnie Knobbe-Charron of Don't Panic Mechanic, SLSFSC maintenance tech/master electrician Andee Rathwell, and Jory Sand, facilities manager.