On June 3, 2021, the federal government passed legislation designating September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) as a federal statutory holiday. National Day for TRC provides an opportunity to recognize and publicly commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools and honour the survivors, their families and communities.

National Day for TRC is also Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Day was inspired by the experiences of Phyllis Jack Webstad, a survivor of the St. Joseph’s Indian Residential School in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

To commemorate National Day for TRC and Orange Shirt Day, Canadians can wear orange shirts to show solidarity for survivors and open the door to a global conversation on the history of residential schools and the intergenerational trauma. The day provides an opportunity to have meaningful discussions about the effects of residential schools and their legacy in Canada.

The federal government passed the legislation to make National Day for TRC a federal statutory holiday after the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) June 2021 schedule had been released. We remain committed to reconciliation and honouring the significance of National Day for TRC. However, changes to the PREP June 2021 schedule to allow us to close our virtual office on September 30 this year are not possible.

We encourage our students to be a part of a lifelong commitment to learning and to seeking out resources to learn more about the history of residential schools. This learning requires listening, opening our minds and hearts, mindfulness, discipline, humility and respect.