Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Sep 30, 2021

Orange Shirt Day, held annually on September 30, finds Canadians wearing orange and engaging in activities and events to recognize and raise awareness of the residential school system experience in Canada.

Orange Shirt Day was inspired by Phyllis Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. In 1973, Phyllis’s new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at St. Joseph’s Residential School. On September 30th, 2013, Phyllis spoke publicly about this incident sparked the the Orange Shirt Day movement. You can watch a video featuring her here.

This year Orange Shirt Day also falls on Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – designated by the federal government to begin in 2021. Please stay tuned to Algonquin College event calendars, social media and communications channels for additional details on how the College is marking this important milestone.