It has been a very difficult year. The last 18 months were marked by a pandemic that affected the world. As North America begins to heal and recover from this global crisis, it’s important to remember that many of our brothers and sisters in most other parts of the world are still being heavily affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic’s resulting socio-economic impact.
Three months ago, we also lost one of our own. Our co-founder and co-owner Lucas Murnaghan was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that took him less than two months after his initial diagnosis. Our team and community are heartbroken, and we are still in the process of healing.
The past year has also brought important human rights issues to the forefront. From the strengthening of the Black Lives Matter movement to the progress achieved by 2SLGBTQ+ people, this has been a time of recognition and evolution for our communities.
Surf the Greats was built by immigrants. We were welcomed in Canada and trusted with opportunities to affect change. We feel that it is our responsibility to continue to educate ourselves on important issues so that we can reflect and take action. Some of our actions have led to great results, but we know that there is much more that we need to do to contribute to the betterment of society.
We have always been aware of the violence committed towards Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island over centuries of colonialism, but the latest discoveries of the genocide in Residential Schools is something we are struggling to grasp. As recent immigrants to Canada, there’s an urgent sense to own that truth and take responsibility towards truth and reconciliation. Our hearts ache as we grieve the decades of innocent lives lost.
In light of all that I have shared, we have decided not to celebrate Canada Day on July 1st. Instead, we are giving our team an opportunity to take time off to read, reflect, and engage in dialogue about what we can do towards reconciliation as settlers. We would like to invite our community to join us in this time of reflection so that together we can begin to have conversations that lead to action towards a more fair and inclusive future.
Surf the Greats shop will be closed, and our social media will be silent, from Thursday, July 1st to Monday, July 5th. To make sure you have everything you need before then, we will open with extended hours on Monday, June 28th to Wednesday, June 30th.
Antonio Lennert
Co-founder & CEO
