National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day

September 30, 2021 marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation responds to Call to Action 80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

This day is a day to reflect and learn more about the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools. It is a chance to recognize and commemorate the intergenerational harm that residential schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected by this injustice.

Reconciliation is the responsibility of every Canadian. It means acknowledging the past and ensuring history never repeats itself.

September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day. 

Orange Shirt Day invites Canadians to wear orange shirts on September 30th each year to honour survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities.

It is a day to listen to the stories of survivors and their families, and to remember those that didn’t make it. It is an opportunity to create bridges to reconciliation through meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected.

Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.

Below you will find a list of events happening around the province courtesy of the BC Federation of Labour.