Today, Canada marks its second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a time to remember children who died while being forced to attend church-run and government-funded residential schools, those who survived and made it home, and the families and communities still affected by lasting trauma.
The day was made a federal statutory holiday last year, realizing a recommendation made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Ceremonies will be held across the country to reflect on the country’s history and treatment of Indigenous people. All federal government buildings in Canada — including the Peace Tower in Ottawa — will lower their flags to half-mast from sunrise to sunset.
Sept. 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, which honours the story of Phyllis Webstad, a former residential school student who had her orange shirt taken away on her first day at a residential school. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is encouraging Canadians to wear orange as an act of solidarity.
In Ottawa, the day started with an eagle feather ceremony on Parliament Hill in front of the Peace Tower, which included a traditional round dance that saw dozens of members from the crowd participate.
The ceremony will be followed by a walk to nearby LeBreton Flats Park, where attendees will lay children’s footwear on the ground to commemorate those who died in residential schools. A one-hour commemoration ceremony will take place there in the afternoon.
