Niagara Catholic District School Board

The Niagara Catholic District School Board is flying flags at all schools and sites at half-mast on Friday, November 8, Indigenous Veterans Day, until sunset on Monday, November 11, Remembrance Day, in respect and recognition of the life of the Hon. Justice Murray Sinclair, who passed away on November 4, 2024. A national commemorative ceremony for Justice Sinclair will take place on Sunday, November 10. 

Justice Sinclair was a brilliant scholar who dedicated his life to the law and improving the lives of Indigenous people. He was Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge, serving from 1998-2009. During this time, Justice Sinclair served as Chair of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He retired from the bench when the Truth and Reconciliation Report was released in 2015, then served as a member of the Senate from 2016-2021.

Justice Sinclair leaves behind a rich legacy that calls all Canadians to commit to the recommendations within the Truth and Reconciliation Report; to listening, learning, and believing the stories told by Indigenous people about residential schools, and to understanding and acknowledging the harm they caused.

Within the report, Justice Sinclair famously noted, “Education got us into this mess, and education will get us out of it.”

Niagara Catholic is committed to honouring Justice Sinclair’s life and legacy by ensuring that we walk side by side with the Indigenous community as true partners on the path toward truth and reconciliation.