Events and closures mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation across Canada
A national commemorative gathering on Parliament Hill and local events will honour residential school survivors and the children who never returned home.
Explainer
Events, ceremonies and service changes are planned across Canada on Wednesday for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
A 90-minute commemorative gathering titled “Remembering the Children” will be held on Parliament Hill starting at 12 p.m., highlighting residential school survivors, their families and children lost to the system.
READ MORE: 5 Canadian-made scents to bring the essence of autumn into your home
READ MORE: Nova Scotia law firm files notice of class action over alleged teacher abuse
The event will be broadcast live on the APTN channel and on several major television and radio networks.
The Peace Tower and the Senate Building will be illuminated in orange throughout the evening.
What events are happening in Ottawa?
Wellington Street will be closed between O'Connor and Metcalfe streets from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. to accommodate the national event on Parliament Hill.
Free guided walking tours led by Indigenous tour guides will be held in downtown Ottawa throughout the day, starting hourly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Beechwood Cemetery will host screenings of the 1970s CBC-radio documentary “The Story of a National Crime” and a 45-minute reconciliation tour.
The Canadian Museum of History will host a morning ceremony at 10 a.m., a selection of Indigenous-made short documentaries, and a sacred fire at the Indigenous Medicine Garden from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Rideau Hall will host a sacred fire for the community from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Seven Ottawa Public Library branches will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while all others will be closed.
The Diefenbunker museum will offer special tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica will host a bilingual mass at 7 p.m.
What services are closed or open in Ottawa?
The City of Ottawa’s client service centres, employment and social service offices, municipal child-care centres and dental clinics will be closed.
Curbside green bin, recycling and garbage collection will continue as normal, and city recreation and cultural facilities will be open.
OC Transpo bus and train service, as well as Para Transpo, will run on a normal weekday schedule.
The National Gallery of Canada and several national museums, including the agriculture, aviation, history and science museums, will be open with free admission.
LCBO stores will open at noon, and major shopping malls have not announced changes to their hours.
How is Calgary observing the day?
Olympic Plaza, Telus Spark Science Centre, Reconciliation Bridge and the Calgary Tower will be illuminated orange, and flags on City of Calgary buildings will be lowered to half-mast.
Schools part of the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District will not have classes, nor will the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University and SAIT.
Calgary Transit will operate on modified Saturday levels of service, and on-street parking in all ParkPlus zones will be free.
All City of Calgary leisure centres will be closed, but landfills will be open.
Telus Spark Science Centre will be closed, while the Calgary Zoo and Heritage Park will be open with special programming.
Events in Calgary include free programming at The Confluence from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a commemoration at the Jack Singer Concert Hall starting at 11 a.m., and a reconciliation walk starting at 11 a.m. organized by the Pokaiks Reconciliation Society.
Heritage Park is hosting a powwow from 6 to 9 p.m., and the Indigenous Runners Alliance is hosting an Orange Shirt Day walk and run at North Glenmore Park.
The Calgary Public Library will host a talk by Métis author Maria Campbell at 5 p.m. at Central Library, and Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, will offer free admission.
What is the significance of the day?
Sept. 30 is an annual federal holiday to recognize the damage caused by the residential school system, honour survivors and help families and communities affected by the lasting trauma.
It is also observed as Orange Shirt Day, dedicated to honouring residential school survivors, their families and those who never returned home.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, established in 2021, ensures the history and legacy of residential schools are publicly remembered.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission created 94 calls to action.
“The day serves as a powerful reminder of the lasting impacts of the Residential School system,” Modern Mississauga Media reported.
In Mississauga, the Bradley Museum will offer tours about Indigenous history, and the city’s Civic Centre clock tower will be lit orange.
The University of Toronto Mississauga Indigenous Centre will host an All-Nations Powwow on Saturday.
With files from Ottawa Citizen, CBC News and Calgary Herald