Community events planned for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

BROCK: Orange shirts will be a familiar sight around Brock Township, next week, as residents gather to remember the children who never returned home from residential schools and honour those who survived.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also recognized as Orange Shirt Day, will be marked Wednesday, September 30th, with a number of opportunities for residents to learn, reflect, and remember.

In Brock, the day's local observance will include a flag ceremony, at noon, at the Brock Municipal Building, in Cannington.

Residents are invited to join members of council for the ceremony and are encouraged to wear orange shirts, in recognition of the day and the Every Child Matters movement.

The observance comes with an understanding, the township of Brock has traditionally been a hunting and fishing ground for First Nations people and is within the Williams Treaty Territories, on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas and Chippewas.

There are also several opportunities for residents to take part in events and activities across Durham Region, in the days surrounding September 30th.

The Durham Region Walk for Reconciliation took place on Friday, September 18th, with a Durham Region Transit bus also featuring artwork by Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation artists Jon Colwell, Sharifah Marsden, and Luke Swinson, in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the Every Child Matters movement.

Closer to home, Brock Libraries are encouraging residents to take part in their September book club. The Sunderland Branch is featuring The Reason You Walk, a memoir by Wab Kinew.

Copies are available at the Sunderland Branch, with a discussion scheduled for Saturday, September 26th, at 10 a.m.

The memoir explores Mr. Kinew's relationship with his father, a residential school Survivor, providing an opportunity for local residents to engage with the history and legacy of residential schools, ahead of September 30th.

Residents can also take part in observances elsewhere in Durham Region.

In Ajax, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event, featuring Zhaagawaamikong and the unveiling of an Aazhokigan sign, is scheduled for September 30th, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

In Whitby, residents can pick up an orange ribbon, at the Whitby Public Library Central Library, at 405 Dundas St., through October 6th. The ribbons can be tied to the fence outside Urban Brew Café, in memory of the children who were lost to residential schools.

For many Canadians, September 30th is also a day to consider the stories behind the orange shirts.

Orange Shirt Day grew from the experience of residential school Survivor Phyllis Webstad, whose new orange shirt was taken from her, when she arrived at the St. Joseph Mission Residential School, in British Columbia, as a child.

The Every Child Matters message has since become closely associated with the annual observance.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours residential school Survivors and intergenerational Survivors, while remembering the children who never returned home. It also provides an opportunity to consider the lasting effects of the residential school system and the continuing work of reconciliation.

Brock Township facilities will be closed on September 30th, allowing municipal staff time to reflect on the history and ongoing impacts of the residential school system and to honour Survivors, their families, and communities.

For Brock residents, the local flag ceremony, book club, and events throughout Durham Region offer opportunities to pause, learn, and remember, as the community marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.