Thursday, September 30th, is Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The new holiday honours folks who survived residential schools and the kids who never made it home.
The holiday is on the last day of September to recognize Orange Shirt Day. Orange shirt day was started by Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation member Phyllis Webstad. When she was six, her grandmother gifted her a special orange shirt, but that shirt was taken from her on her first day at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School near Williams Lake. Now people all over Canada wear orange to honour survivors like Phyllis and the children who died in residential schools.
If you’re near Port Hardy this Thursday and want to help commemorate the event, you can join the march from Port Hardy Secondary School to Carrot Park.
Kwakiutl, Gwa-sala-‘Nakwax’daxw, and Quatsino First Nations are joining together to host the march. The tri-band event is intended to “raise awareness and to honour our Residential School Survivors as well as to remember those who never made it home.”
“We want to uplift our children. Our future. Be together today for our children tomorrow.”
Everyone is welcome to join. The event starts at the school at 10:30. The march will go down Granville Street to Carrot Park starting at 11:00.
Lunch will be offered at Carrot Park after the march.
The organizers ask that everyone wear orange, and that they wear a face mask and follow COVID safety protocols.
