National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30th) honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities.

It was moving to see so many people wearing orange shirts, for September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day — an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day based on the experience of Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. On her first day of school, she arrived dressed in a new orange shirt, which was taken from her. It is now a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

Thank you to all Hospital and Health Research Institute staff, professional staff, volunteers and learners who participated by wearing orange shirts.

We hope you were able to take a few moments today to reflect on how people in our region have been, and continued to be, impacted.