º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍø

“We’re all pretty grateful,” said Charlene Simone, a community member on the Indigenous Education Council at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. “It’s a step in the right direction ... but there’s still more work to do.”

Simone would like to see the flag policy scrapped so all Indigenous flags can be displayed — including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation flag, as the Dufferin-Peel board sits on their traditional territory — calling it “a setback in reconciliation efforts and awareness.”   

In January, board trustees voted to uphold a flag policy allowing only country, provincial and board flags outside buildings, with similar restrictions inside schools. 

The changes targeted the rainbow flag, a symbol of the LGBTQ community, and sparked heated board meetings.  In trying to block the Pride flag, trustees voted in favour of revamping the policy, ultimately banning many flags, including those representing other countries, sports teams, even Elmer the Elephant. At the time, members of the public warned that many communities would be adversely impacted, but the vast majority of trustees pushed ahead.

Even the then-Indigenous student trustee Bailey Clyne urged that the Every Child Matters flag continue to be flown during observance periods, but was voted down — despite the board having flown it since the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021. 

“I was shocked,” recalled Clyne, now a first-year university student. “I thought it was ridiculous that they decided to remove all the flags — I thought for sure they’d make an exception for the Every Child Matters flag.”

While she’s relieved the flag will once again be displayed, Clyne said it’s disappointing that it took ministerial intervention to get to this point, rather than it having been a decision made at the time by the board of trustees.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Education Minister Paul Calandra said the province had ordered changes at the board, which is currently under supervision, meaning trustees have been stripped of decision-making powers except on denominational matters.

“The minister has directed the supervisor to amend the board’s flag policy, allowing the Survivors’ Flag to be raised on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” said his press secretary Emma Testani in a statement to the Star.

Alessandra Greene, this year’s Indigenous student trustee, welcomed the move — even if the Every Child Matters flag is flown just for a day. The earlier decision to block it was “deeply painful” for many students. 

“I’m so thankful that the ministry and everyone else behind the scenes decided that they’re going to let us raise the flags for truth and reconciliation,” said the Grade 12 student. “Raising the flags again ... shows that listening and learning is possible.”

Greene added that the board’s strict flag policy has limited how cultural days and heritage months are celebrated in schools. For example, during Black History Month last February, no flags could be displayed as part of presentations. 

“You can’t even really wear a shirt or sweater with the flag on it either,” said Greene. “It’s very strict.”

Indigenous community member Isaac Murdoch would like to see the Every Child Matters flag flown permanently, saying the issues of residential schools and the “ongoing crisis” with Indigenous children in care is ongoing.

“We want that flag up all the time,” says Murdoch, who does some Indigenous programming at the board. “This is not just a one day show-and-tell of what’s wrong with the Canadian system. There’s a crisis happening right now with Indigenous people and this flag needs to be risen, flying, and flown every single day.”