Métis actor, musician, philanthropist, and activist Tom Jackson will be participating in a special event in Port Hope to recognize Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on Tuesday (September 30).
Currently living in Port Hope, Jackson is the featured guest at “Canindian: A Celebration of Truth and a Celebration of Reconciliation” at the Capitol Theatre at 20 Queen Street in downtown Port Hope. He will be joined by esteemed local Indigenous leaders for an evening of song, storytelling, and performances that explore the heart of Indigenous heritage.
The evening was initiated by Municipality of Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky as a way to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“By welcoming Tom, along with learning and sharing from other leaders from our surrounding Indigenous communities, we hope the event will encourage people to take time to reflect on the significance of the day and deepen their understanding of truth and reconciliation,” Hankivsky told kawarthaNOW.
The municipality expects attendees will be moved by Jackson’s “soulful voice and his heartfelt narratives” that have inspired countless communities across generations.
“Canindian invites all community members to unite in a spirit of shared understanding and respect, and Tom is giving this concert to the community with love in the spirit of healing and reconciliation,” Hankivsky said.
VIDEO: “Lost Souls” by Tom Jackson (2021)
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the evening will celebrate Indigenous culture and history while also honouring the collective journey towards healing.
The event also involves Alderville First Nation Chief Taynar Simpson, Elder and Knowledge Keeper Melody Crowe of Alderville First Nation, and Marsha Smoke, Southeast Regional Chief for the Anishinabek Nation, each of whom will contribute to the ongoing dialogue of truth and reconciliation.
Along with Jackson’s performance, guests will enjoy traditional Indigenous drumming and dancing. The event also features a vendors’ market, offering items for purchase such as jewellery, scarves, moccasins, and paintings.
While admission is free, a suggested donation of $30 will support the Rice Lake Legal Personhood Initiative, an endeavour to grant Rice Lake legal personhood with the aim of protecting the lake’s rights, resources, and its future.
Tickets can be reserved online at capitoltheatre.com.
Hankivsky said a successful outcome for the event would include raising $10,000 for the project, noting Jackson has said he will match up to $5,000 in donations.
With an acting career that spans more than four decades, Jackson has appeared on TV shows including CBC Television’s North of 60, Shining Time Station, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Law & Order, Red Earth Uncovered, Outlander, Cardinal, Supergirl, and CTV/CW network’s Sullivan’s Crossing. His film roles include Cold Pursuit, Deadfall, Mee-Shee: The Water Giant, and Grizzly Falls.
Jackson is also a longtime singer-songwriter, with his musical recordings including The Essential Tom Jackson, and he received the Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences at the 2007 Juno Awards. He is renowned for his humanitarian work, notably The Huron Carole concert series, which has raised more than $250 million in funds and in-kind value for food banks, charities, and disaster relief across Canada.
Jackson also served as chancellor of Trent University in Peterborough from 2009 to 2013 and is the recipient of 11 honorary degrees from universities across Canada. His contributions have earned him the Companion of the Order of Canada, the Order of the Red Cross, multiple humanitarian awards, and recognition as one of the country’s most respected and inspiring cultural leaders.
In June 2021, the Canadian government established National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as an annual statutory holiday on September 30 in response to the Call to Action #80 from the 2015 final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As well as remembering and honouring those lost to residential schools and the thousands of survivors, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day for Canadians to educate themselves about the heritage, culture, stories, and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, when Canadians are encouraged to wear orange to raise awareness of the tragic legacy of Canada’s residential school system. The date was chosen for Orange Shirt Day because it is the time of year when Indigenous children were taken from their homes to residential schools.
The orange shirt and the slogan “Every Child Matters” originated as a result of the St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project and reunion events in 2013 in Williams Lake, BC, when residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band) shared her experience when she arrived at the residential school. Her grandmother had taken her shopping to buy a new outfit for her very first day at the school, and Webstad picked out a bright orange shirt — which school authorities promptly confiscated from her when she arrived along with all her other clothes, which were never returned.
