To commemorate the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, September 30 has been declared the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by the Government of Canada. First proposed in 2015 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, this National day of public remembrance was passed into law in June 2021 after the discovery of hundreds of unmarked children’s graves at former residential school sites across Canada – discoveries that fueled our collective grief and anger.

The Trail and District Public Library will close operations on Thursday, September 30, 2021 to remember, and reflect on, the horrendous history and ongoing intergenerational impacts of residential schools, and to honour residential school Survivors and the children who did not return home.

Education and awareness are crucial to meaningful reconciliation. Look below resources on Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous Peoples.