Ottawa residents will have several opportunities to gather, learn and reflect on Wednesday as the city marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Sept. 30, also known as Orange Shirt Day, honours the children who never returned home from residential schools, as well as Survivors, their families and communities. The federal statutory holiday was established in 2021 in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
While it is a federal holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a statutory holiday in Ontario. That means schools and many businesses will remain open, even as federal offices and some municipal services close for the day.
One of the largest commemorations will take place on Parliament Hill, where residential school Survivors, Elders, Indigenous leaders and performers will gather for the annual Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event.
The 90-minute gathering begins at noon and is being organized by APTN, CBC/Radio-Canada and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Performers will include Tia Wood, Soleil Launière, Silla and Adrian Sutherland. The event will also be broadcast live for those unable to attend in person.
Earlier that morning, residential school Survivors will participate in a ceremony to raise the Survivors’ Flag on Parliament Hill. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. near the Visitor Welcome Centre by West Block.
At Rideau Hall, a public Sacred Fire will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., led by apprentice Fire Keeper Sheldon McGregor of Kitigan Zibi. An opening ceremony lasting approximately 45 minutes will begin at 9 a.m., after which the fire will be tended throughout the morning.
The gathering is intended to provide a space to reflect on the experiences of residential school Survivors, their families and communities. Photography and video will not be permitted during the Sacred Fire because of its sacred and ceremonial nature.
Rideau Hall will also offer special reconciliation-themed tours of the residence throughout the day. English tours will be offered at 10 a.m. and noon, with French tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Elsewhere in Ottawa, Beechwood Cemetery is partnering with the Project of Heart, Assembly of 7 Generations and First Nations Child and Family Caring Society for a day focused on education, reflection and action.
Programming at the Beechwood National Memorial Centre will include a screening of The Story of a National Crime, based on a CBC radio production imagining a discussion between Dr. Peter Bryce and Duncan Campbell Scott.
Visitors can also participate in a 45-minute Reconciliation Tour through the cemetery grounds, examining historical figures connected to the residential school system while learning about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.
A short commemorative ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. to remember children who never returned home from residential schools and honour Survivors.
Across the Ottawa River, the Canadian Museum of History will offer free admission from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., although visitors are encouraged to reserve a timed ticket.
A morning ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and include a traditional prayer and smudging, Indigenous dancers and drummers, and testimony from an Elder from Bkejwanong First Nation who attended an Indian Day School and was later separated from his family during the Sixties Scoop.
From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., a Sacred Fire will be held outside in the museum’s Indigenous Medicine Garden. The museum will also screen Indigenous-made National Film Board documentaries throughout the day and host installations examining the 150-year history and continuing impacts of the Indian Act. At noon, visitors can watch the Parliament Hill commemoration live from the museum.
Closer to home, the Ottawa Public Library will turn seven of its branches into National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Learning and Action Spaces.Beaverbrook, Cumberland, Greenboro, Main, Nepean Centrepointe, Ruth E. Dickinson and St-Laurent will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. All other library branches will be closed for the day.
Service impacts: What’s open and closed Sept. 30
Because the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal statutory holiday but not an Ontario statutory holiday, its impact on services varies.
For OC Transpo riders, buses and trains will operate on their normal weekday schedules. Rural Shopper Route 303 will also run, and Para Transpo will operate regular service. The OC Transpo customer service centre at the Rideau Centre will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 9 p.m., while Lost and Found at St-Laurent Station will be closed.
There will also be no change to garbage and recycling collection. Green bin, recycling, garbage and bulky-item pickup will take place according to the normal Wednesday schedule. Multi-residential collection will continue as usual, and the Trail Waste Facility Landfill will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Many City of Ottawa administrative services, however, will be closed. ServiceOttawa client service counters and phone lines will not operate, including the counter at City Hall. The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will handle urgent matters only, although residents can continue to submit service requests online.
The Provincial Court and Administrative Penalty System Hearing area at the Mary Pitt Centre, Business Licensing Centre, City Archives and City of Ottawa Spay and Neuter Clinic will also be closed.
City community, recreation and cultural facilities will remain open, as will City-operated museums, although the Shenkman Arts Centre will be closed. Meridian Theatre @ Centrepointe remains closed.
Most Ottawa Public Library locations will also be closed, with the exception of the seven branches operating as learning and action spaces. Regular library hours resume Oct. 1.
Ontario does not recognize Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday, meaning schools will remain open. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will mark the day through learning and reflection. Indigenous families may choose to keep their children home to participate in family or community activities, and teachers have been asked not to schedule tests or assignments due that day. Ottawa Catholic schools will also mark Orange Shirt Day with students in class.
Canada Post recognizes Sept. 30 as a national holiday, meaning there will be no regular mail collection or delivery. Privately operated postal outlets may follow the hours of the businesses in which they are located. Banks will also generally be closed.
LCBO stores across Ontario will be closed during the morning before opening at noon.
Several Ottawa Public Health services will be affected. Sexual Health Clinic locations, dental clinics and Parenting in Ottawa drop-ins will be closed, while the Site mobile van will operate from 5 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.
All City-operated child-care centres will be closed, along with the City’s four Employment and Social Services offices. City parking regulations will remain in effect throughout the day.