The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a statutory holiday to honour residential school survivors, their families, and their communities. The creation of a statutory holiday was Recommendation Number 80 in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Call to Action Report, and was created through legislative amendments by the Parliament of Canada.

The Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to promoting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through the continual implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Calls for Justice. In keeping with this, our office will be closed on October 2.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important opportunity to explore Indigenous peoples’ rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences, and stories. We encourage everyone to wear an orange shirt and learn more about what you can do to recognize Orange Shirt Day.

For more information on ways to raise awareness and advance reconciliation, [click here].