OTTAWA – Today is the fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day where Canadians reflect on the legacy of residential schools and remember the survivors and those who never made it home.
The residential school era refers to a period between 1857 and 1996 where 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools where they were barred from speaking their languages in institutions often rife with abuse located far away from their families and communities.
An estimated 6,000 children died while attending the schools, although experts say the actual number could be much higher.
Sept. 30, known as Orange Shirt Day or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is meant to honour survivors and those who never came home.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Mark Carney will deliver remarks on Parliament Hill at the Remembering the Children gathering, hosted by APTN, CBC and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Other events are taking place across the country to mark the day, including a legacy gathering in Toronto and a memorial walk in Vancouver.
