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

Published

September 30, 2024, is Orange Shirt Day, which is the vision of Alkali Lake Chief Fred Robbins, a survivor of a residential school. 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. It was given to her by her grandmother, and Phyllis was just six years old. 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, 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 23, 2024, 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 27 to October 1, 2024.
City Hall will be illuminated orange in the evenings from September 28 to October 1, 2024.
Staff will be encouraged to wear orange on Friday, September 27, 2024, to acknowledge the tragic legacy of residential schools, and to honour the victims, their families, and intergenerational survivors.
City staff will have an opportunity to participate in a Path to Reconciliation training session on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, which aims to equip participants with essential knowledge and understanding to support Indigenous reconciliation.
Transit Windsor will begin tying orange ribbons to bus mirrors over the weekend so that all buses will have orange ribbons for September 30, 2024; and will program head signs on buses with #EveryChildMatters from September 28 to September 30, 2024; distribute orange ribbons for operators to wear; and share audio messages on buses recognizing the day and the significance of the ribbons on September 30, 2024.

Museum Windsor – Chimczuk Museum

Museum Windsor’s Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) will be open and offering free admission on Saturday, September 28, 2024. The Chimczuk Museum, located at 401 Riverside Drive West, 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 from September 27 to 30, 2024, at the gallery. Engagement opportunities include gatherings in Windsor and Amherstburg, studio workshops, and a film screening.

Windsor Public Library

All branches of the Windsor Public Library will be closed on September 30, 2024; however, displays of Indigenous content and resources will be featured at all branches and online at the Digital Branch throughout the week. Staff have prepared a video on Truth and Reconciliation, and offer the following opportunities for community engagement:

During the month of September, customers have been encouraged to pick up a button at Fontainebleau Branch in honour of Orange Shirt Day/National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The week of September 23 to 27, 2024, visit the Bridgeview Branch from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. daily for a Truth and Reconciliation Video Series. Learning and honouring the truth of our history from Indigenous knowledge keepers is an important part on the path of reconciliation. Please join us at the Bridgeview Library for this daily lunch-and-learn series. We will provide reading materials and videos each day. The reading materials will be available as a Take and Learn as well.
Drop by Central Branch and help to make an indoor Heart Garden to honour the children and survivors affected by the residential school system. Paper hearts will be available for patrons to colour and decorate, and then mount onto a stem on the bulletin board to create a flower. This activity is available from September 16 to 30, 2024.
Please visit the Windsor Public Library’s Events Calendar for additional information.

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 the week of September 23 to 27, 2024, 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.

Every Child Matters Walk

A community-led Orange Shirt Day committee is hosting a community gathering and walk along the waterfront on Monday, September 30, 2024. The event runs from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and includes speakers, drums, food, and activities. To learn more, visit the university’s Orange Shirt Day event page or contact WindsorOrangeShirtDay@gmail.com by email.

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 about these initiatives, visit the City’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation web page.

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 Day web page.