The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day is on Tuesday, September 30, 2025! This day provides us with a beautiful opportunity to learn more about Canada’s history in the spirit of truth and reconciliation, reflect on the legacy of the residential school system, and take action.
To help with this, we have created this list of proposed activities – some in person here in Ottawa and some that you can do from the comfort of your own home:
IN PERSON EVENTS – OTTAWA
1. The Diefenbunker Museum in Carp
The Diefenbunker is hosting two ceremonies on Tuesday, September 30th to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation also known as Orange Shirt Day. At 9 a.m., there will be a ceremony featuring the dedication of a permanent land acknowledgment installation outside the Diefenbunker Museum. From 10 am to noon, there will be a public ceremony, featuring the lighting of a sacred fire, cultural presentations, and traditional teachings from Knowledge Keepers and Elders, alongside reflections from community leaders. Both ceremonies are free to attend.
Our friends at Mamawi Together are one of the sponsors of this event and will have a booth there. This is where I will be spending my day. Come join us for this free public event. We look forward to seeing you there!
For more info, click here.
2. The Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau
The Canadian Museum of History will host events to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. There will be a morning ceremony at 11 a.m. and at 1 p.m., there will be a documentary screening of “Return to the Falls: A Journey of Resilience and Survival.” Admission to the Canadian Museum of History is free on Sept. 30. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more info, click here.
3. Beechwood National Memorial Centre in Ottawa
You’re invited to Beechwood Cemetery on Tuesday, September 30 to walk the grounds for a 45-minute Reconciliation Tour. You can learn from key historical figures who were involved in the Residential Schools and learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action. There will be a ceremony at 2:15 p.m.
For more info, click here.
4. National Commemorative Gathering on Parliament Hill in Ottawa
On September 30, APTN and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and members of the public will be on Parliament Hill at 3:00 p.m. EDT for the commemorative gathering “Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation”.
This national gathering is a time to reflect, to honour Survivors and their families, and to remember the children who never made it back home.
Canadians across the country can take part by watching the broadcast on APTN, CBC/Radio-Canada and other partners.
For more info, click here.
5. W.J. Bell Rotary Peace Park in Stittsville
The Legacy of Hope Foundation and the Ottawa Stittsville Rotary Club invite you to a Truth and Reconciliation Event on Tuesday. Activities include a craft table, a reflective walk along the park trails, and the laying of painted rocks. The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the W.J. Bell Rotary Peace Park in Stittsville.
For more info, click here.
OTHER ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE
If we aren’t able to attend one of these in person events, the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society shares with us a number of things we can do to honour the day wherever we are:
1. Take a Virtual Reconciling History Walking Tour through Downtown Ottawa
The Reconciling History initiative invites people to learn from the past in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its Calls to Action. Explore the Reconciling History Tour virtually and learn about the complete and true story of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.
For more info, click here.
2. Watch The Good Canadian
What if there was a dark secret behind a national identity? The Good Canadian exposes the truth behind the idea of a True North strong and free. In this unflinching and eye-opening documentary, directors Leena Minifie and David Paperny move us through the corridors of systemic inequity, from the Indian Act to residential schools, to modern-day family separation. The Good Canadian challenges national myth-making, while offering Canadians the chance to forge a new identity from the truth. Watch Cindy Blackstock in The Good Canadian when it makes its debut September 30th on CBC, CBC GEM (8 p.m. ET), and APTN (9 p.m.). Produced by Leena Minifie and David Paperny.
This film is Rated 14+.
*Trigger warning: child removal, residential school images.
Same-day streaming on APTN lumi
3. Watch Spirit Bear’s film, Echoes of the Past, and Read Spirit Bear’s Books
Watch Spirit Bear’s film Spirit Bear: Echoes of the Past for free on Spirit Bear TV. This is the fourth film in the Spirit Bear film series, following Spirit Bear as he embarks on a much needed vacation to Songhees and Esquimalt territories (Victoria, British Columbia). Spirit Bear learns about Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce and what it means to reconcile history.
All of Spirit Bear’s films are available to watch for free on Spirit Bear TV!
We also encourage you to read Spirit Bear’s books: Spirit Bear and Children Make History, Spirit Bear: Fishing for Knowledge, Catching Dreams, Spirit Bear: Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams and Spirit Bear: Echoes of the Past (available in French, English and select Indigenous languages).
If you want to take your learning to the next level, you can complete the associated learning guides, also available for free on Spirit Bear’s Books & Learning Guides page.
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National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day) is an important opportunity for education, reflection, truth-telling and taking action, but you can get involved in reconciliation any time of the year. Let this be the start of a journey of learning and taking action throughout the year!