Storyboards will be placed along Public Square for the week. They take you through the truths of the residential school system and its impact on Indigenous communities across Canada. The boards are open to everyone, and you can visit at any time.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.
It is a day to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, the Survivors, and their families and communities.
Remember them. Honour them. September 30 is a day to listen, to learn the truth about the residential school system and its lasting impact, and to reflect on what each of us can do to move reconciliation forward.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) describes the day as one step on a long path that everyone in Canada must travel together. Its Executive Director, Stephanie Scott, reminds us that reconciliation "cannot happen without truth."
The day falls on Orange Shirt Day, a movement started by Survivor Phyllis Webstad, who lost her new orange shirt on her first day at residential school. The NCTR asks everyone to keep the memory of those children, and of Survivors, alive well beyond this week. Learn more at nctr.ca.
We encourage everyone to wear orange on September 30 as a visible act of remembrance.
Remember them. Honour them.
Graphic from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Schedule of Events
Join the Town of BWG, Odenaang Circle, and the BWG Public Library as we remember the children who never came home and honour Survivors, their families and their communities.
Storyboards along Public Square: Friday, September 25 to Friday, October 2
Smudge and Flag Raising: Wednesday, September 30 at 5:00 pm
Join us for a smudge and flag raising in remembrance of the children who never came home and in honour of Survivors. All community members are welcome.
Date: Wednesday, September 30
Time: 5:00 pm
Location: Sunshine Square (Leisure Centre), 471 West Park Ave
We encourage everyone to wear orange on September 30 as a visible act of remembrance.
Lunch and Learn Sessions Hosted by NCTR: September 21 to September 25
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is hosting daily Lunch and Learn webinars – an immersive experience to UN-learn the myths of colonial history in Canada.
Lunch and Learn sessions are aimed at an adult audience, and open to the public, and will be hosted virtually over Zoom Webinar and streamed to YouTube.
Most sessions will be 60 minutes in length and will include a Q&A between the moderator and guest(s). Space is limited to 5,000 participants on Zoom but the livestream can be watched on YouTube. Learn more about each session, the moderators and speakers at: trw-svr.nctr.ca/lunch-and-learns/
- Monday, September 21 at 1:00 pm
Protecting Survivor Truths: Holding and Preserving Indigenous Lived Experience
Pre-register for Zoom
Watch live on Youtube - Tuesday, September 22 at 11:00 am
Economic Reconciliation: Understanding Opportunities, Responsibilities, and Impact
Pre-register for Zoom
Watch live on Youtube - Tuesday, September 22 at 1:00 pm
Growing and Strengthening Indigenous-Newcomer Solidarity
Pre-register for Zoom
Watch live on Youtube - Wednesday, September 23 at 1:00 pm
Continuing the Conversation on Residential School Denialism
Pre-register for Zoom
Watch live on Youtube - Thursday, September 24 at 2:00 pm
Honouring Indigenous Leadership: Perspectives for a Shared Future
Pre-register for Zoom
Watch live on Youtube - Friday, September 25 at 1:00 pm
Indigenous Youth Perspectives on Health and Wellbeing
Pre-register for Zoom
Watch live on Youtube
Commemorative Gathering on Parliament Hill: Wednesday, September 30
In honour of the sixth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), APTN, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, CBC/Radio-Canada and the Algonquin Nation have united to produce a 90-minute multilingual commemorative gathering, entitled Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Wednesday, September 30 starting at 12:00 pm
The live broadcast will also be available on APTN and other supporting broadcasters.
Meet Odenaang Circle
Odenaang Circle is an Indigenous committee in BWG, with a mission to infuse Indigenous culture into the heart of the community and create a space of inclusivity and understanding.
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