National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

Last year the Government of Canada announced the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new federal statutory holiday to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools, which will be observed every September 30. This day coincides with Orange Shirt Day, which carries a critical message: that every child matters. 

Westwind School Division will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation across the division with a school-closure day. Doing so allows students and staff to acknowledge the history and impact of residential schools through a day of quiet reflection, participation in a community event, or other ways most meaningful for them.

Between now and September 30, schools will organize materials and activities to help students understand the importance of the day—remembering those who were lost, those who survived and those who continue to be impacted by the legacy of residential schools.  

Our division is committed to standing with First Nations, Métis and Inuit teachers, students and communities to honour those who survived and those who did not return home. The legacy of residential schools is painful, and we recognize that the atrocities suffered in those schools affect Indigenous people, families and communities to this day. As we work together to focus our efforts on understanding and reconciliation-related initiatives, we hope to build and nurture respectful relationships within our communities to further understanding and healing.

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