Trudeau apologizes to chief of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc after Tofino trip

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologized to the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation for not attending the community’s reconciliation events.

Alex Wellstead, Trudeau’s press secretary, confirmed to Daily Hive that the Prime Minister had reached out to Chief Rosanne Casimir on October 2 to offer an apology.

“I can confirm he and Chief Casimir spoke. The Prime Minister reached out to Chief Casimir and spoke with her yesterday,” Wellstead said in an email to Daily Hive.

“He offered an apology, discussed the path forward, and is looking forward to visiting the community soon.”

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Trudeau came under fire this week for spending Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on vacation in Tofino instead of attending commemoration events.

The Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc said it had sent two “heartfelt invitations” to the Prime Minister to join residential school survivors and their families on September 30.

Earlier this year, the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc announced that the remains of 215 children were found buried on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.