By Jeremy Davis
In November 2023, the Province of Manitoba established the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a provincial statutory holiday. It is marked annually on September 30 for Manitobans to reflect on the history, legacy and impact of the residential school system. This followed the Government of Canada’s legislation to mark September 30 as a federal statutory holiday which received Royal Assent in June 2021. The inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was marked and honoured on September 30, 2021.
The establishment of September 30 as provincial and federal statutory holidays responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action Number 80, which states:
“We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
The date was chosen because September 30 was historically around the time of year when children began attending residential schools.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is also known as Orange Shirt Day which was first recognized in 2013 by the Orange Shirt Society, the founding organization. According to the Orange Shirt Society’s website at OrangeShirtDay.org, the commemoration of Orange Shirt Day recognizes residential school survivors, their families and the journey of healing. The orange shirt’s significance stems from the experience of Phyllis Webstad. At six years old, she arrived for her first day at a residential school wearing a new orange shirt purchased by her grandmother. The shirt was taken from her, an experience that symbolizes the loss of culture, identity and freedom endured by residential school students. Today, the orange shirt also represents hope, reconciliation and a shared commitment to building a better future. At its heart, Orange Shirt Day affirms the fundamental message that “Every Child Matters”.
Now in its sixth year, the number of events and activities across Canada to recognize and reflect on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation continue to grow.
Here are some ways residents can commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:
• Wear an orange shirt and/or display an ‘Every Child Matters’ sign at home on September 30.
• Participate in a public event on reconciliation
• Make a donation to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the Residential School Survivors Society.
• Review the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and consider how you could make an impact.
• Tune into Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Indigenous programming on September 30.
By scanning the QR code found at the end of this article, you will find a resource from Tourism Winnipeg that shows a list of special programming and events where you can commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2026 in Winnipeg.
In the words of the Honourable Murray Sinclair, C.C., M.S.C. “We have to learn how to talk to, and about, each other, with greater respect than has been the case in the past. We may not achieve reconciliation within my lifetime, or within the lifetime of my children, but we will be able to achieve it if we all commit to working towards it properly. Part of that commitment is that every year [on September 30] we will stand up together and we will say never again. What we did in this country was wrong, and we will never allow that to happen again.”
Sinclair served as the chair of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission which documented the history of residential schools in Canada and issued 94 Calls to Action. It was with great honour that the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board inducted Sinclair into its Citizens Hall of Fame in 2022. Last year, Dr. Catherine L. Cook was honoured with induction into the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s Citizens Hall of Fame in recognition of her significant contributions and leadership in Indigenous health, healing and reconciliation in Winnipeg and across Manitoba for over four decades. Bronze busts in their honour sit at the Citizens Hall of Fame site at Assiniboine Park.
For more information about Orange Shirt Day, please visit www.OrangeShirtDay.org.
Jeremy Davis is the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s Director of External Relations & Market Intelligence.