National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (2026)
Observed on September 30 each year, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (also known as Orange Shirt Day) honors the children who never returned home, survivors of residential schools, their families and communities, and recognizes the intergenerational legacy of the residential school system.
Show your support by wearing orange on September 30
The color orange is used because of the story of Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor. In 1973, when she was just 6 years old, her grandmother bought her a bright orange sweater for her first day of school at St. Joseph Mission in British Columbia.
The Canadian public inverts this symbol to loudly affirm that every child matters (Every Child Matters). It is a visual reminder of the harm done and a collective commitment to truth and reconciliation.
In Montreal, as everywhere else in Canada, we organize demonstrations and rallies like the one that was organized in 2023 in Montreal on Sherbrooke Street and which ended at McGill University.