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Back to SearchEach year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. On this day, we encourage you to wear orange to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 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. This federal statutory holiday was created through legislative amendments made by Parliament.
Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.
Flags will be half-masted on all municipal buildings and locations in the Township of Russell from sunrise to sunset on September 30, 2024, for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
To find ideas on how to participate in this day, see previously published article.
To learn more about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, explore the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and stories of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples visit the Canadian Heritage website.