Canada observes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Canada is preparing to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on September 30. These observances honor residential school survivors and remember the children who did not return home. The movement is rooted in the story of Phyllis Webstad, founder of the Orange Shirt Society, whose shirt was taken on her first day of school.

Across the country, various communities and institutions are organizing commemorations. In British Columbia, Camosun College will host a ceremony themed ‘Healing through the Land’ featuring Coast Salish artist Virgil Sampson. The Semiahmoo First Nation is hosting the sixth annual Walk for Truth and Reconciliation in White Rock, with Webstad as the keynote speaker. Other regional activities include community marches in Kelowna and Abbotsford, and gatherings in Winnipeg.

Institutional responses include the closure of several government and municipal facilities in the Comox Valley and the closure of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and Provincial Court of British Columbia to recognize the day. These judicial bodies have expressed ongoing commitments to advancing reconciliation through education and improved access to justice for Indigenous Peoples.