Some ways non-Indigenous people can mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Ontario

For this first time, Canada will observe a new statutory holiday on Thursday to commemorate the tragic legacy of residential schools in Canada.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation responds to the 80th call to action asking the government to create a statutory holiday to “honour survivors, their families and communities and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process."

Before it became a statutory holiday, Sept. 30 was considered “Orange Shirt Day.” The event began in 2013 and was inspired by Phyllis Webstad, an Indigenous woman whose new orange shirt, gifted to her by her grandmother, was forcefully taken from her as a child at the St. Joseph Mission Residential School in 1973.

The residential school system operated in Canada between 1831 and 1996. It aimed to eliminate Indigenous languages and cultures and separated more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children from their families. This past summer, unmarked gravesites containing the remains of hundreds of people, believed to be mainly Indigenous children, were found at several former residential school sites across Canada. The search is ongoing to locate more of the mass gravesites.

Ceremonies and events will be taking place across Canada on Thursday to commemorate the tragic legacy of residential schools. The City of Toronto has announced it will fly Canadian flags at half-mast on official poles across the city. Toronto will also light its iconic sign orange in honour of the day. Advocates have said the day should hold a sombre tone.