Canada Life has kicked off its celebration of Pride month by raising the rainbow flag at the company’s offices in Montreal, Regina, Toronto, Winnipeg, and London in the UK.
The insurer, however, said that all their flags, along with the rainbow flag, will be lowered to half-mast to “honour the lives lost, the survivors of the residential school system, and the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc People.”
“While we celebrate Pride month, we also pause and reflect on the tragic news we learned last week,” Canada Life said in a statement. “The discovery of 215 Indigenous children’s remains on the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops, BC is an unspeakable tragedy and reflects a dark period in our country’s history.”
“The flags will stay that way for 215 hours, to acknowledge each child,” the insurer added.
As part of their acknowledgement, Canada Life also announced that the company would be hosting a series of virtual events and activities for its employees through its Pride@Canada Life Employee Resource Group, with a mission to build a culture where employees can bring their “authentic self to work every day.”
“At Canada Life, we value and nurture diversity and inclusion in all that we do,” the company said. “We’re committed to attracting and retaining a diverse employee population that reflects the communities in which we live and work, and the customers we serve.”
“We’re mindful that Pride isn’t just a celebration of how far the LGBTQ2+ community has come, it’s also a reminder that there’s more work to do to create safe spaces for people to be themselves, and an opportunity to educate ourselves about Pride – both past and present,” the firm added.
