Truth and Reconciliation

For me, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, observed each year on September 30, is a day to remember and honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, as well as the survivors, their families, and their communities.

Orange Shirt Day, inspired by residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, whose new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at school. When I wear orange, I do it to affirm that every child matters.

The day asks me to confront a painful and often overlooked part of our country’s history. For more than a century, over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were removed from their families and placed in residential schools, where many suffered abuse, neglect, and the loss of their language, culture, and identity. I know the effects are still felt across generations today. I believe truth must come before reconciliation, and I see this day as an opportunity to listen to survivors, learn the history honestly, and reflect on my own responsibility in building a more respectful and equitable relationship with Indigenous peoples.