City of Windsor Observes Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Published

September 30 is Orange Shirt Day, which is the vision of Alkali Lake Chief Fred Robbins, who is himself a residential school survivor. It honours the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a former residential school student who, on her first day of residential school, had her bright new orange shirt taken away from her. The orange shirt was given to her by her grandmother.

The orange shirt has become a symbol of remembrance of all Indigenous children who were removed from their families to attend residential schools, where their language and culture were repressed, and many children experienced abuse. The painful legacy of residential schools has had long-lasting effects on residential school survivors and their families.

The day has also been designated National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action #80.

The Calls to Action offer important direction for all levels of government, institutions and all Canadians to redress the legacy of residential schools and to advance reconciliation. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day of awareness, as well as a day of remembrance for Indigenous people and a day of education for Canadians. It honours survivors, their families, and communities, and ensures that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.

At the Corporation of the City of Windsor

The City will encourage all municipal staff to use the week of September 29, and time leading up to that week, to focus on the importance of reconciliation and take steps to learn about and acknowledge the past through various opportunities for participation, including the following:

The “Every Child Matters” flag will fly outside City Hall from September 29 to October 1, 2025.
City Hall will be illuminated orange in the evenings from September 29 to October 1, 2025.
Staff will be encouraged to wear orange on Monday, September 29, 2025, to acknowledge the tragic legacy of residential schools, and to honour the victims, families, and intergenerational survivors.
City of Windsor administrative offices will be closed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, in observance of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and some services may be altered or delayed.
Staff will have an opportunity to participate in a webinar, “Relationships – Taking us from Truth to Reconciliation,” presented by Sandi Boucher on Thursday, September 25, 2025, which aims to equip participants with essential knowledge and understanding to support Indigenous reconciliation.
Staff will also have access to various resources created by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.
Transit Windsor will begin tying orange ribbons to bus mirrors over the weekend so that all buses will have orange ribbons for September 30, 2025. On September 30, Transit Windsor will program the head signs on buses with #EveryChildMatters, will distribute orange ribbons for operators to wear, and will share audio messages on buses recognizing the day and the significance of the ribbons.

Museum Windsor – Chimczuk Museum, along with Art Windsor-Essex (AWE)

Museum Windsor’s Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) will be open and offering free admission on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. The museum and gallery are located at 401 Riverside Drive West.

At the Chimczuk Museum, this is the last opportunity to explore the Witness Blanket exhibition from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg before it closes to the public on October 1, 2025. The Witness Blanket features a replica of a powerful art installation created by master carver Carey Newman to recognize the atrocities of the residential school era, honour the children, and symbolize ongoing reconciliation. Inspired by a woven blanket, this cedar-framed replica artwork features hundreds of items from Indian residential schools, survivors, churches, governments, and other cultural sites across Canada. Each item tells a story of loss, strength, resilience, and pride.

The Chimczuk Museum also includes the Original Peoples Culture and Legacy Gallery. At the north end of the main floor concourse, this space reflects the culture, heritage and contemporary issues of the local First Nations and Métis communities. It also provides an open and flexible gathering space for programming. This exhibit was developed in consultation with Walpole Island Heritage Centre, Turtle Island-Aboriginal Education Centre at the University of Windsor, Caldwell First Nation, Can-Am Indian Friendship Centre and other local community organizations.

Features of the exhibition include Creation Stories, Treaties, Residential Schools and '60s Scoop, Language Revitalization, Missing and Murdered Women, Medicine Wheel Teachings, and Cultural Expressions.

Meanwhile, Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) offers Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events and programming on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at the gallery, along with free admission from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Engagement opportunities include the community display “Planting the Seeds for Truth and Reconciliation” on the third floor galleries in partnership with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.

Windsor Public Library

In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, all branches of the Windsor Public Library will be closed. However, the library remains committed to fostering awareness, education, and reflection throughout the month of September.

Displays of Indigenous content and resources are featured at branches across the city and online on our Digital Branch page for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2025, and on YouTube, where staff have prepared a special video presentation on Truth and Reconciliation.

In-Branch Activities include:

Bridgeview Library is hosting a weekly video screening series every Wednesday at 5:00 p.m., focusing on Indigenous topics and the journey toward Truth and Reconciliation. Attendees will receive a Take & Learn Kit to continue their learning at home.

Budimir Branch will distribute information packets for children on September 22, 2025, from 12 noon to 8:00 p.m., designed to help young learners understand the importance of Truth and Reconciliation.

Seminole Branch invites families to participate in drop-in colouring activities from September 23 to 26, 2025, featuring themed sheets. Visitors are encouraged to explore curated book displays during their visit.

The Local History Branch is offering free informational booklets and activity sheets daily throughout September, while supplies last.

These are just a few of the many ways Windsor Public Library is honouring Truth and Reconciliation. We invite the community to explore more resources and events by visiting their nearest Windsor Public Library branch.

Ojibway Prairie Complex

The Ojibway Prairie Complex offers a peaceful backdrop for quiet reflection. Open and accessible to the public, the City encourages everyone to find time to visit these lands and the Ojibway Nature Centre at 5200 Matchett Road the week of September 29, 2025, and beyond. The Ojibway Prairie Complex is a collection of six closely situated natural areas within a 10-minute drive from downtown Windsor. The most striking aspect of the complex is the tremendous variety of vegetation and animal life. Wetlands, forest, savanna and prairie provide habitat for a great number of rare plants, insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. Visit www.Ojibway.ca for more information.

Memorial Walk and Gathering – Ojibway Nature Centre

A community-led Orange Shirt Day committee is hosting a community gathering and walk on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchett Road. Join in a walk to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Feel free to bring personal drums and shakers and join in. After the walk, enjoy a drum group and a light community breakfast.

City of Windsor Land Acknowledgment:

The City of Windsor is situated on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, which includes the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomie. The City of Windsor honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.

For more information on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, including additional resources and opportunities for engagement, please visit the Government of Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation web page.