PHOTOS: A Canada Day marked by reflection, and solidarity for Indigenous Peoples

CANADA DAY - July 1, 2021 - The recent discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at residential schools across Canada have forced the nation to reckon with its history of atrocities and abuse against Indigenous Peoples. Many Canadians and localities called for the cancellation of Canada Day, instead pushing for reflection and education about the true history of the country we all call home.

Thousands took to the streets in Toronto, Ont. for the Every Child Matters Walk, honouring the lives of children who never returned home from residential schools across Canada for over a century.

In Ottawa, this would be a day laden with Canadian flags and fanfare. Instead, fields at Parliament Hilll were covered in orange flags, representing countless Indigenous lives lost.