For almost a decade, people across Canada have commemorated Sept. 30 as Orange Shirt Day. This year, legislation passed by the federal government of Canada implemented Sept. 30 as a new federal holiday, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to mark an important part of the reconciliation process with the Indigenous people of Canada.
Hop Studios will be closed this day.
This new holiday was created in response to the Calls to Action from The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which called upon the federal government to establish a national day to honour survivors, their families, and their communities, and to ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools is an ongoing component of the reconciliation process.
In May of this year, many Canadians were shocked by the announcement of the discovery of the remains of 215 children buried at a former residential school in British Columbia. Many First Nations children were removed from their families and culture, and sent to residential schools during the mid-1800s onward. Additional investigations at other residential schools across Canada have led to the identification of more than 1800 unmarked burial sites thus far.
These schools were a shameful chapter of Canadian history, and observing this federal holiday is one way that we can remain cognisant of the damage done to Indigenous peoples through colonization. We hope that all Canadians take time on September 30th to learn more about this country’s full history, and to honour the survivors of the residential schools, and those children that did not return to their homes.
Collectively, we ought to contribute to improving the relations and shared well-being of all those who live here in Canada.