As we approach the first annual Truth & Reconciliation Day in Canada, Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches is appreciative of the steps taken so far.

He says this week's flag-raising was good for the acknowledgment of the surrounding Indigenous communities. He goes into detail on the importance of the day.

"September 30th is a very important day for all of us across the country, as we recognize and honour the children who attended residential schools throughout our history here in Canada," explains Meeches. "It was quite a devastating time for Indigenous people during the residential school era, now that everything that has happened in the past little while was brought to light."

He adds he believes that Canadians are supporting the Indigenous communities more and more as people realize what they were subjected to. He says it's been uplifting to see the reconciliation efforts made to aid the people in need.

"We are still in a pandemic and there's still a lot of challenges we face collectively as a country, and I'm just hoping that things will get better from here on in."

Meeches adds he hopes to see even more support on the road to reconciliation.