National Day for Truth & Reconciliation - Sep 30

September 28, 2021

The Government of Canada declared September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; an opportunity "to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools", and to honour the survivors, their families, and communities.

Since 2013, September 30 has been observed as 'Orange Shirt Day'; a date chosen because it represents the time of the year that children were taken from their homes and moved into residential schools. The tradition of wearing an orange shirt comes from the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad whose brand-new orange shirt, a gift from her grandmother, was taken from her by school administrators on her first day at a residential school in 1973, when she was six years old.

Virtual & In-Person Activities

The Town of View Royal acknowledges with respect that it is within the unceded traditional territories of the Lekwungen peoples, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, and that their historic connections to these lands continue to this day.

To commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Town of View Royal will be illuminating the Craigflower Bridge in orange from September 29 to October 3, 2021.