2021 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Thank you to everyone who participated in the online events on September 30. The recordings of the presentations can be found here. 

AHS has been commemorating Orange Shirt Day on September 30 for many years, to recognize the history and truthful impacts of residential schools in Alberta. The Orange Shirt Day movement started in 2013 after a Residential School Survivor spoke about having the orange shirt her grandmother bought for her taken away on her first day of school when she was 6 years old. Read her story here.

Wearing an orange shirt symbolizes the harm done to residential school students and their families, and shows a commitment to the principle that every child matters. By acknowledging and understanding the truth of the past, we can take steps to move forward towards reconciliation. 

This year Orange Shirt Day became the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We are more unified in our grief as we follow the ongoing recovery efforts taking place near the sites of former residential schools around the country and we are inviting all AHS staff, physicians, students and volunteers to take this opportunity to consider their own reconciliation journey.

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