National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Events

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Observed since 2021 in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The day honours the children who never returned home, the survivors of the residential school system as well as their families and communities.

This is a day for reflection and for education around the experiences and ongoing impacts of the residential school system. To participate, you can join events happening around the city, including:

• Join the Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation commemorative gathering on Parliament Hill at 3 pm EDT on September 30 or watch the live broadcast on APTN or partnering broadcasters.

• Check out the reconciling history walking tours and other activities at Beechwood Cemetery and downtown Ottawa, organized by the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society in partnership with Assembly of Seven Generations.

• Check out Ottawa Public Library’s events and resources.

• Participate in the free virtual education sessions hosted by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

• Familiarize yourself with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and review the latest Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada Annual Statutory Report (2025) which tracks progress in advancing reconciliation and supporting Indigenous self-determination.

What is Orange Shirt Day?

Orange Shirt Day is a grassroots initiative established in 2013 to recognize the intergenerational impacts of the residential schools on survivors, families and communities. September 30 was chosen because it marks the time of year when children were taken from their families and placed into residential schools, a practice that caused deep and lasting harm. You can participate in Orange Shirt Day by wearing a shirt or pin sold by local Indigenous businesses or from official retailers. It’s a way to show solidarity with survivors.

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project. The name of the day comes from the story of a survivor of this school, Phyllis Webstad, who had her new orange shirt, a gift from her grandmother, taken away from her on her first day of residential school. The Orange Shirt represents the experience of loss that children in residential schools endured and the separation from their families, cultures and communities. It reminds us that “Every Child Matters”. You can learn more about the history at orangeshirtday.org.