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FederalIn Progress45th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill S-245 explained in plain English

An Act respecting a National Blanket Ceremony Day

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
45th Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill S-245
Full title
An Act respecting a National Blanket Ceremony Day
Current status
In Progress
Latest event
At second reading in the Senate
Last updated
Mar 24, 2026

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 45th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
At second reading in the Senate
Latest Activity
Mar 24, 2026
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill S-245 creates National Blanket Ceremony Day on June 30th annually to honor Indigenous cultural practices and promote reconciliation.

What It Means

Bill S-245 designates June 30th of each year as 'National Blanket Ceremony Day' across Canada. The bill includes a preamble explaining its purpose, which references the historical context of the Sixties Scoop—a period when many Indigenous children were separated from their families—and highlights the cultural significance of the blanket ceremony as a healing practice for Indigenous communities.

What This Bill Does
  • Designates June 30th as 'National Blanket Ceremony Day' in all provinces and territories each year.
  • Includes a preamble explaining the bill's intent, referencing the Sixties Scoop and the cultural importance of the blanket ceremony.
Who Is Affected
  • All provinces and territories in Canada
  • Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, Métis)
  • The public at large
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill does not specify any legal obligations, penalties, or funding requirements related to the observance of National Blanket Ceremony Day.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
National Blanket Ceremony Day Act
Created

Establishes a new statutory observance for June 30th as National Blanket Ceremony Day.

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Mar 24, 2026
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Introduction and first reading, Mar 24, 2026
End of stage activity, Mar 24, 2026
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Mar 24, 2026

The Senate on March 24, 2026, advanced Bill C-15, debated financial inclusion initiatives, and addressed procedural concerns about bill accessibility during its session.

Step 2
Second reading
Date not listed
No activity

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
First reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Report stage
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 5
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Mary Jane McCallum
Senator | Conservative Party of Canada | Manitoba
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

Official sources

Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.

How this data is sourced