Monday – Orange Shirt Day

On Monday, September 30, we will recognize Orange Shirt Day to honour the survivors, victims and lasting effects of Canada’s Residential Schools. ​

Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their homes, families and communities to attend church-led schools that stripped them of their culture, languages and identity. This created irreversible harm from which many families still suffer.

Wearing orange helps raise awareness of the Residential School experience, ensures that every child knows they matter, and works toward a better future for all people. The orange shirt became significant due to the story of Phyllis Webstad, who in the early 1970s had her orange shirt taken away on her first day at the Residential School St. Joseph Mission (SJM) in British Columbia.