CBC Music and CBC Listen to offer the national radio broadcast, with hosts including Jarrett Martineau and Marion Newman and all-Indigenous music and artists to be showcased
CBC News to launch Indigenous-led Residential School Unit to proactively gather tips and research and roll out original journalism on a story that impacts so many people across the country
CBC Podcasts to start production on a new series produced and hosted by Duncan McCue, exploring the history and legacy of residential schools
On Wednesday, June 30, CBC will join radio stations across the country to broadcast A DAY TO LISTEN , a day of radio programming dedicated to sharing stories from Indigenous leaders, residential school survivors, elders, musicians, and teachers in partnership with the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) . Broadcasting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (6:30 NT) local time on CBC Music and CBC Listen, the special day of programming will include hosts Jarrett Martineau and Marion Newman and feature all-Indigenous music and artists.
“Many Canadians were shocked to learn of the remains of 215 children buried in Kamloops and now growing numbers at other residential school sites including Cowessess First Nation, something Indigenous communities have known – and shared – for years,” said Sarah Midanik, President & CEO, Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund. “We hope that A DAY TO LISTEN, and the ongoing work that we do at DWF, begins a new chapter in our reconciliation journey so that no Canadian is ever shocked again by the horrors inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples.”
“At this time of tremendous reckoning and reflection, we are grateful to have this opportunity to partner with the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund to bring this important day of storytelling to CBC audiences,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC. “We are committed to doing more to better reflect Indigenous perspectives and communities every day of the year, and hope this national broadcast will help further reconciliation conversations in Canada.”
A DAY TO LISTEN joins CBC’s extensive news content and programming on all platforms highlighting First Nations, Métis and Inuit voices and perspectives throughout National Indigenous History Month , and all year long. CBC News will also be launching an Indigenous-led Residential School Unit with the support of several news departments to proactively gather tips and research, and roll out original journalism on a story that impacts so many people across the country. Additionally, CBC Podcasts is set to start production on a narrative-driven podcast series produced and hosted by Duncan McCue, exploring the history and legacy of residential schools through the voices of survivors and new investigative reporting.
A DAY TO LISTEN follows CBC’s previous collaboration with Gord Downie and the Wenjack family on THE SECRET PATH , which is available to stream for free on CBC Gem and tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old boy who died while trying to escape from a residential school and travel back home to his family over 400 miles away.
Canadians are invited to visit DownieWenjack.ca to learn more about their programming, including the Legacy Schools program, which provides educators with free resources to teach about the true history of residential schools. The mission of DWF is to create a pathway towards reconciliation, and to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all Canadians.
The national Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
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About the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund
Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Our goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all Canadians. Learn more at downiewenjack.ca.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
For more information, please contact:
Teaghan Hawke, CBC PR
teaghan.hawke@cbc.ca
