Each year, September 30 is recognized as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

The day honours the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

In the video below, students from Holy Trinity Catholic High School answer the question, "What does Truth and Reconciliation mean to you?"

Wear Orange on September 29

Orange Shirt Day is a time to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and honour the survivors and the children who never got to go home. It is observed on September 30 each year because this is the time that many Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities. This date is a federal holiday, and ECSD schools will observe Orange Shirt Day on Tuesday, September 29. If you have questions about what your child's school is doing to commemorate this day, please get in touch with the school's Principal or their Truth & Reconciliation Lead Teacher.

What is Orange Shirt Day?

It is through actions like the sharing of the story of Phyllis Jack Webstad, a 6-year-old girl who was stripped of her new orange shirt when she entered a residential school, that people across our nation will come to know the truth. Only then can we begin the process of reconciliation.