To the editor,
Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and Orange Shirt Day.
Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission Residential School (1891-1981) Commemoration Project and Reunion events that took place in Williams Lake, B.C. in May 2013. Former student Phyllis (Jack) Webstad was a spokesperson for the Reunion group leading up to the events and told her story of her first day at residential school as a six-year-old girl, when her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her. Since Sept. 30, 2013, people have become part of the Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters movement.
Sept. 30 was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it offers an opportunity for students, families, teachers, and staff to discuss anti-racism and anti-bullying at the beginning of each new school year. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation became a Canadian statutory holiday in 2021 and honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
On Friday, Sept. 30, all are welcome as we gather to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and Orange Shirt Day. Please meet at Memory Lane Park (Durham and McNab Streets, beside The Beer Store parking lot) in Walkerton at 6:30 p.m. We will then leave on an illuminated walk (think battery operated candles, glow sticks, flashlights etc.) to the Walkerton Library. We are very grateful that councillors from Neyaashiinigmiing (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation) will join us for this event. If you wish to leave something behind as a memorial, we ask that items be natural materials such as paper, rocks, flowers, etc.
To volunteer, or learn more about this event, please visit our Facebook event page (search ‘National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Brockton’) or contact the Municipality of Brockton (519-881-2223 or info@brockton.ca). In the event of rain, details of an alternate location will be posted to our event page.
We are grateful to the Walkerton and District Optimist Club and the Municipality of Brockton for their financial support.
We look forward to seeing you on Sept. 30.
Signed – Event Organizers for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Brockton
