Sept 30th 2025 Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth & Reconciliation – Regional Events & Learning Opportunities
Artwork: Sloane Cameron | Sloane is a Grade 6 student from Innisfail, Alberta. Her design showcases a tree, a heart, and children. The tree to represent nature and the heart to symbolize that every child matters and is equally important. Sloane is the winner of the 2025 Every Child Matters T-shirt contest – Read more & purchase yours at: orangeshirtday.org
September 30th is Orange Shirt Day & the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – A time to honour residential school Survivors & the children who never returned home, to learn about the history of the residential school system & its continued intergenerational impact on Indigenous peoples & communities.
Ways to mark the day include wearing orange, taking part in local community events, or engaging in opportunities to learn about truth & reconciliation. A listing of events & learning opportunities is warmly shared below.
Regional Events Listing
Castlegar
Flag Raising Ceremony at Selkirk College
🗓️ Monday, September 29, 2025
🕘 2:15pm – 3:15pm
📍 Front Lawn – Selkirk College Castlegar (301 Frank Beinder Way)
The Every Child Matters flag, designed by Ktunaxa artist Carol Louie, will be raised at the Castlegar Campus. You are encouraged to wear an orange shirt.
Orange Shirt Day Walk – Hosted by the Circle of Indigenous Nations (COINS)
🗓️ Tuesday, September 30, 2025
🕘 11:00 am – 1:00 pm (Walk begins at 10:30 am)
📍 COINS (1801 Connors Road)
Come along for a walk from the Sandman hotel (1944 Columbia Ave) to a community gathering at COINS. Wear your orange shirts & bring a hand drum! Balloons & signs will be provided.
Drumming ~ Vendors ~ Round Dance ~ T-Shirts for Sale ~ BBQ Lunch
Nelson
3rd Annual Elephant Mountain Challenge
🗓️ Sunday, September 28, 2025
🕘 Opening Ceremony: 8:00 am at Lyon’s Bluff Trailhead
📍Finish Line: Rotary Lakeside Park
Come cheer on the runners at Lakeside Park as they cross the finish line of this event that combines physical activity with community wellness to honour Indigenous culture and healing through movement.
Children’s Indigenous-Led Activities – Hosted by Taghum Hall
🗓️ Tuesday, September 30, 2025
🕘 9:00 am – 11:00 am
📍 Taghum Hall (5915 Taghum Hall Road)
Free event for kids 7-12 and their adults (younger siblings okay, too!)
Games ~ Activities ~ Drumming ~ Learning
Road Trips & Rainbow Trout – StoryShare Walk
🗓️ Featured temporarily ~ Visit soon!
📍 Art Gibbon Park (Rosemont neighbourhood)
Visit the park and explore an art installation of Amelia Bressey-Chapman’s book Road Trips & Rainbow Trout – with Indigenous language translations of local plants & animals, and pages coloured by Rosemont Elementary students. Borrow the book at the Nelson library!
Trail
Free Community Event – Trail Riverfront Centre
🗓️ Tuesday, September 30, 2025
🕘 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
📍Trail Riverfront Centre (1505 Bay Ave)
Interactive Learning ~ Métis Storytelling ~ Beading Demo ~ Drum Circle ~ Community Weaving Project ~ Free Film Viewing ~ Tea & Native Plant Station
Rossland
Sinixt Culture at the Rossland Museum
🗓️ Tuesday, September 30, 2025
🕘 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
📍 Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre (1100 Hwy 3B)
Open by donation ~ Proceeds support the Indian Residential School Survivors’ Society. Learn about Sinixt culture, check out our resources, and watch the award-winning documentary, Snk̓míp Dig Deeper, with 1-hour showings at 11 am, 1 pm & 3:30 pm.
Grand Forks
Free Community Event – Hosted by the Boundary Métis Commmunity Association
🗓️ Tuesday, September 30, 2025
🕘 9:00 am – 2:30 pm
📍Boundary Museum & Archives (6145 Reservoir Road)
Tipi Raising ~ Drum Circle ~ Traditional Lunch ~ Dancing ~ Bring your drum & lawn chair!
Learning & Reflection
Remembering the Children: Live Broadcast from Parliament Hill
🗓️ Tuesday, September 30th
🕘 12:00 – 1:30 pm PST
This year’s gathering in Ottawa includes powerful reflections from esteemed Elders & Survivors, and moving performances by First Nations, Inuit & Métis artists. The live event will be broadcast on APTN nationwide & streamed on YouTube.
Stories, Films & Books
OrangeShirtDay.org – Phyllis’ Story: Learn more about the history of Orange Shirt Day.
We Were Children – Documentary film: “The impact of the Canadian residential school system is conveyed through the eyes of two children forced to face hardships beyond their years.”
COINS Book Library ~ coinations.net: The COINS office in Castlegar (1801 Connors Rd) has a physical library with many Indigenous titles and authors to choose from. Drop by anytime to browse the shelves & borrow a book!
Browse the blog & site here at kbculturalsafety.org for curated learning opportunities & resources including short videos, regional resources & more.
The Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of the ongoing impacts of the Residential school system. Call 1-866-925-4419
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