Memorial for Murray Sinclair at arena will give public chance to pay respects to late senator, TRC chair

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Peggy

Members of the public will be able to pay their respects to Murray Sinclair, the late senator and judge who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, during a Sunday afternoon memorial at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, which will be attended by the Governor General and other dignitaries, along with Sinclair’s family and friends.

Earlier this week, the province and federal government announced plans for the commemorative ceremony, which will take place at the downtown Winnipeg arena starting at 2 p.m. CT.

CBC will livestream the memorial at cbc.ca/manitoba.

Sinclair, an Anishinaabe lawyer who was the first Indigenous person appointed as a judge in Manitoba and went on to become chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools and a senator, died early Monday morning in Winnipeg at the age of 73.

A member of Peguis First Nation, Sinclair was born in 1951, just north of Selkirk on what used to be the St. Peter’s reserve. His spirit name was Mazina Giizhik, which translates to “the one who speaks of pictures in the sky” in Anishinaabemowin.

Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General, will attend the memorial service and deliver remarks to “honour Mr. Sinclair’s life and his invaluable contributions to our country,” a Friday news release from her office said.

Government representatives and Sinclair’s friends and family will also pay tribute to him at the ceremony.

There will also be 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.

The doors to the ceremony will open to the public at 1 p.m.

Books of condolences will be available for people to sign at the memorial.

As well, a book of condolences has been made available to sign at the Manitoba Legislative Building, where it can be signed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Flags at the legislative building in Winnipeg and Parliament building in Ottawa will remain at half-mast until after the memorial on Sunday.