Orange Shirt Day: A rundown of local events marking National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

A number of events are taking place in Sault Ste. Marie this week to recognize the National Day for Truth Reconciliation, which is observed across Canada each year on Sept. 30.  

The day is intended to cast light upon a dark chapter in Canada’s history: For more than 150 years, First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were taken from their homes and communities and placed in residential schools, according to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website.  

More than 150,000 children attended the often overcrowded and underfunded institutions, where children were harshly punished for speaking their own language and engaging in their cultural practices as part of the federal government's explicit goal to separate children from their families and culture. 

The first church-run residential school in Canada was opened in 1831. By 1920, the Indian Act made attendance at residential schools mandatory for children between the ages of seven and 15. 

The majority of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events scheduled in Sault Ste. Marie will take place on the campus of Algoma University; a portion of the building, Shingwauk Hall, was a residential school operated by the Anglican Church from 1875 to 1969. The federally-funded institution closed its doors in 1970, but a cemetery on the present-day university campus holds the remains of a number of staff and students from the Shingwauk school.  

In 2018, Algoma University officially opened the Reclaiming Shingwauk Hall permanent exhibit, which explores the history of the residential school. 

The former Shingwauk Indian Residential School was designated a national historic site in 2021. 

Here’s a rundown of this year’s events in Sault Ste. Marie: 

Friday, September 29: 

Algoma University will host a series of events aimed at "commemorating, reflecting, and educating" in anticipation of this year's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, according to a news release.

The day's activities will span all three Algoma University campuses and will include: 

• in-person and virtual Shingwauk Site Truth Walks (tours of the Shingwauk site)
• presentations and discussions including a keynote address delivered by Shingwauk survivor Shirley Horn 
• a virtual screening of the Canadian feature film Run Woman Run, celebrating resilience and Indigenous presence in film followed by a question and answer session

The full agenda for Friday’s events at Algoma University can be found here. 

A candlelight vigil on the front lawn of Algoma University at 7 p.m. will conclude Friday's events at the Sault Ste. Marie campus. Contact Tara Burrell at [email protected] for more information.

Weecheetowin Health Support Services and the Elder in Residence will be available on-site all day in the Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students Lounge (SH312).

Meanwhile, Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (SKG) will be hosting its own slate of activities in partnership with Indigenous Tourism Ontario. The Indigenous post-secondary institution is located across the street from Algoma University (1491 Queen Street East). 

Friday’s events at SKG include a workshop on leading for excellence and a blanket exercise. The full agenda can be found here. 

The Indigenous Friendship Centre in Sault Ste. Marie (122 East Street) will also be handing out orange shirts, by donation, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Saturday, September 30: 

A number of events are taking place on the SKG campus Saturday, including a tour of the Shingwauk site, cultural workshops and a residential school survivors panel. A number of Indigenous food vendors and an artisans marketplace will also be located on campus. Online registration for the events is being encouraged. 

The full agenda for Saturday’s events at SKG and registration information can be found here. 

The Spartan Canada Run in support of Orange Shirt Day will be held at Algoma University at noon. The run will begin at the front loop of the university. Opening remarks from Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association President Jay Jones will precede the run.  

Members of the public are encouraged to wear orange shirts, as Sept. 30 is also recognized as Orange Shirt Day across the country. The movement was spawned by the story of Phyllis Webstad, whose orange shirt was taken from her at the age of six during her first day at St. Joseph Mission Residential School in British Columbia. More on Webstad’s story can be found here.

A national residential school crisis line has been established to provide support to former students and their families. The 24-hour line can be accessed at 1-866-925-4419.