Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: Opening Remarks and Territorial Welcome
Video / April 16, 2026
Transcript
Capt (Navy) Kelly Williamson: Good afternoon. Bonjour à tous.
We are gathered here today for the Canadian Armed Forces national apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment. This is a solemn and significant moment, one that calls us to listen with humility, to acknowledge with honesty and to honour the courage of those whose stories bring us together. Before anything else, we welcome those who have carried the pain and felt the loneliness of exclusion because of racism from within our ranks: members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, your families. Whether you are here in this room or joining from elsewhere, we honour your strength in showing up in a way that feels right for you, and we hold space for those who are not yet ready to do so.
We will also welcome the members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, and representatives of the government, leaders of the community and the distinguished guests who are with us today. And we underline the presence of the Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada; Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean, 27th Governor General of Canada; and the Honourable Jill McKnight, Veterans Affairs Minister and Associate Defence Minister. Your presence is a sign of respect towards these people who are suffering and a proof of engagement towards reconciliation and change.
We are gathered today in humility, in a spirit of responsibility, and to recognize the prejudice that should never have taken place within the Canadian Armed Forces. This ceremony is a solemn occasion that also carries a lot of hope. It is a moment of reflection, a moment to listen and to move forward together.
Today’s ceremony may bring forward difficult memories and emotions. Support is available on site and online for anybody who may need help. For those joining us in person, you’ll find mental health and spirit support counsellors ready to assist in the foyer, and there are private rooms available to anyone who may need a private space to reflect. For those joining us virtually, there is a QR code that will link you to resources and support services. Please, don’t hesitate to reach out. You are not alone.
As we begin, we thank and recognize the efforts of our American Sign Language and langue des signes québécoise interpreters and our simultaneous linguistic interpreters for their support today, ensuring the ceremony is accessible for all who join. Let us now begin this important event in a spirit of honesty, reflection, and shared responsibility.
Albert Dumont is an Algonquin Anishinaabe spiritual advisor, activist, volunteer and poet. Albert was formerly the City of Ottawa’s English poet laureate. He has dedicated his life to promoting Indigenous spirituality in healing and to protecting the rights of Indigenous people, particularly Indigenous youth. Please join me in welcoming Albert Dumont, who will offer a territorial welcome.
Elder Albert Dumont: Miigwetch for that. I want to say, first of all, that right now, I’m at peace, and I wish everyone well. I want everybody here to... to know that I’ve never hated anyone in my life. I’m not capable of it. Hate doesn’t make any sense to me. I’d like to dedicate my part today to my kid brother Russell. He joined the Army just, I guess, when he was just pushing 18. He served three years in the Army, he served three years on the Saskatchewan, and his plan was to go into the Canadian Airborne, but he was... it was July 8, on a Sunday, in 1985, and he was crossing the street, and a drunk driver ran him down, and... and he died. But he loved the military, he loved the comradeship. You know, he spoke always highly of his experiences and how much he loved being part of the Armed Forces.
I’m going to share a traditional story of the Algonquins. This story’s been around this country probably for thousands of years, you know. At the time of contact with Europeans, the Algonquins were building birch bark canoes, and they had birch bark canoe building down to a science. You know, they could make big canoes that held a lot of people, you know, seven or eight men and cargo, and the canoe went over whitewater and didn’t fall apart, that’s how special these canoes were. Anyway, the story is a traditional teaching story, and it speaks about two canoes travelling on the great river of life. And in one canoe, there’s many people, but only one person in that canoe has a paddle. In the second canoe, there’s many people, but everyone in that canoe has a paddle, and they’re travelling on the great river of life.
And a storyteller from long ago would ask a young person, “Which canoe would you rather be in? Would you rather be in the canoe where only one person has a paddle, or would you want to be in the canoe where everyone has a paddle?” And it was hoped that the young person would say that they’d want to be in the canoe where everyone has a paddle. Because if you’re in the canoe where only one person has a paddle, that person is going to steer the course that he wants to go, and the people in that canoe don’t have no say, on the great river of life, where that canoe’s going to go. But if you’re in the canoe where everyone has a paddle, then that paddle is your voice, and everybody in that canoe, no matter how young they are or how old they are, everybody has a voice to... to speak up and protest if they don’t feel the canoe is going to a place of health; that paddle allows them to put the brakes on, and the canoe will stop moving on the great river of life until people in the canoe decide the course they’re going to go.
As a human rights activist, and as an Algonquin, I’ve come across hatred many times; and even lately, on Orange Shirt Day, there’s powerful people in this country who mocked and ridiculed Indigenous people of this country for celebrating and honouring children that died in residential schools. Whenever I think about hatred, and, you know, it’s against what the Canadian flag is supposed to be all about. It’s against what Canadian ethics and principles are all about. Those people that hate because of the colour of your skin, because of your culture or heritage, they want to be in that canoe where only one person has a paddle. Everybody in this room, I think, understands that it’s best to be in the canoe where everybody has a voice, where everybody’s respected, nobody is not respected.
I want you to know that today, when I get back home to Kitigan Zibi, I’m going to burn this tobacco for everyone here and for the success of this event, because it’s... it is truly important. Miigwetch.
Capt (Navy) Kelly Williamson: Thank you, Albert, for grounding us in the truth of this land and for reminding us of the importance of respect.
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Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: Opening Remarks and Territorial Welcome |
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Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: Sgt (Ret'd) Wendy Jocko |
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Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: Capt (Ret’d) Kevin Junor |
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Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: LCdr (Ret’d) Albert Wong |
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Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean |
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Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: Delivery of the National Apology |
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Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment: Closing Remarks |