Each year, Sept. 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. The day honours the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Recognition of this tragic history and the ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital part of the reconciliation process. Continue reading
TRI News
Throughout September, Algonquin College welcomed learners, employees and community partners to a diverse series of events and learning opportunities that honoured Truth and Reconciliation and demonstrated the College’s ongoing commitment to Indigenization.
“Truth and Reconciliation is not a single day or month at Algonquin College. It is an ongoing commitment to listening, learning, building relationships and creating spaces where Indigenous cultures, languages, histories and ways of knowing can thrive,” said Anita Tenasco, Director of Indigenous Initiatives at Algonquin College. “The activities we hosted throughout September reflect our continued work to support Indigenous student success, strengthen cultural understanding and engage learners, employees and partners in meaningful conversations and actions that advance reconciliation.” Continue reading
Learners at Algonquin College, including the littlest pre-school learners from the Early Learning Centre, faculty members and students, had their first chance to interact with the Canadian Geographic Education and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society map on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.
Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization (TRI) is now Indigenous Initiatives.
While the name is changing, the commitment behind the work remains the same. Algonquin College had already begun its reconciliation journey before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its Calls to Action in 2015.
Over the past decade, the College has continued to build on that foundation by advancing Indigenous Knowledge, truth, reconciliation and meaningful relationships across the institution. Continue reading
Algonquin College has always had deep ties to the Anishinàbe Algonquin Peoples, beginning with the school’s namesake and a multi-pronged approach to Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization woven into campus life, events and corporate elements.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed in Canada annually on Sept. 30. It is a day of memorial to recognize the atrocities and multi-generational effects of the Canadian residential school system. Ahead of Sept. 30, which is also colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day, Anita Tenasco, director, Indigenous Initiatives at Algonquin College, sat down for an important conversation with Duran Tolley, a current student and Mamidosewin Centre student navigator, reflecting on Indigenization at the College through the learners’ lens. Continue reading
From Sept. 15-25, 2026, Algonquin College will host the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada Giant
Floor Map in Nawapon, offering learners, faculty and visitors a unique opportunity to explore the rich histories, cultures, languages and lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples across Canada.
Presented by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic Education, this impressive interactive map (akìzinàzowin) measures 11 metres by 8 metres (36′ x 26′), transforming the learning experience into a journey you can literally walk across. Participants are encouraged to step onto the map, move through regions, ask questions and discover Canada from an Indigenous perspective. Continue reading
Students from the Canadian North are in Ottawa participating in the annual Northern Youth Abroad program. The program cultivates youth leadership, individual career goals, cross-cultural awareness and international citizenship for youth from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Nunavut Day, celebrated annually on July 9, is a public holiday in Nunavut that recognizes the 1993 passage of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Nunavut Act, which laid the foundation for the creation of Nunavut and advanced Inuit self-determination.
The day was enthusiastically marked at the Mamidosewin Centre. Continue reading
For Immediate Release
June 24, 2026 Ottawa, ON — Algonquin College is marking Canada’s National Indigenous History Month by highlighting progress made over the last year in advancing its commitments to Truth and Reconciliation.
Since the release of its 10-Year Report on Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action in June 2025, the College has expanded community partnerships, strengthened Indigenous language revitalization efforts, created new Indigenous spaces on campus, integrated Indigenous ways of knowing into hiring practices, and launched a two-year Indigenous Studies diploma. The College also introduced Nìgàn, a major new initiative designed to guide and accelerate reconciliation-focused work with community partners, and the Indigenous Knowledge, Work, and Entrepreneurship (IKWE) program to support and empower Indigenous students. Continue reading