Memorial for Murray Sinclair at arena will give public chance to pay respects to late senator, TRC chair
Public Memorial to Honour Murray Sinclair at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg
The late senator and judge Murray Sinclair, who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, will be remembered during a Sunday afternoon memorial at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. The event will be attended by dignitaries, including the prime minister, Governor General, and Sinclair’s family and friends.
Earlier this week, both the province and federal government announced plans for the commemorative ceremony, which is set to take place at the downtown Winnipeg arena starting at 2 p.m. CT.
CBC will be livestreaming the memorial at cbc.ca/manitoba for those unable to attend in person.
Sinclair, an Anishinaabe lawyer and the first Indigenous person appointed as a judge in Manitoba, passed away early Monday morning in Winnipeg at the age of 73. He was known for his role as chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools and later as a senator.
As a member of Peguis First Nation, Sinclair was born in 1951 just north of Selkirk on what was once the St. Peter’s reserve. His spirit name, Mazina Giizhik, translates to “the one who speaks of pictures in the sky” in Anishinaabemowin.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Justin Trudeau will be in attendance and deliver remarks at the ceremony. Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General, Mary Simon, will also be present to honor Sinclair’s life and his contributions to the country.
Government representatives, as well as Sinclair’s friends and family, will pay tribute to him during the service. Musical performances by Red River Métis fiddler Morgan Grace, singer-songwriter William Prince from Peguis First Nation, Cree and Salish musician Fawn Wood, and Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee will also be featured.
The doors to the ceremony will open to the public at 1 p.m., with books of condolences available for signing. Additionally, a book of condolences can be signed at the Manitoba Legislative Building from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Flags at the legislative building in Winnipeg and Parliament building in Ottawa will be flown at half-mast until after the memorial on Sunday.
