National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Halifax marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a flag-raising ceremony at Grand Parade on Tuesday, September 29, at noon. The ceremony takes place in front of City Hall, and the city will light the building orange from Monday, September 28, through Friday, October 2.

The day is also known as Orange Shirt Day. It's a federal statutory holiday observed on September 30 each year, established in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Final Report. This year marks the 11th anniversary of that report. The day honours the children who never returned home from residential schools, as well as the survivors, their families, and their communities.

In Nova Scotia, the day isn't a paid general holiday or a retail closing day, so businesses may choose to stay open. The Halifax Regional Municipality is situated in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and traditional lands of the Mi'kmaw people. The city acknowledges the Peace and Friendship Treaties signed in this territory and recognises that everyone is a Treaty Person.

The ceremony on the 29th also opens Mi'kmaw History Month, which begins with Treaty Day on Thursday, October 1. The flag-raising is at noon at Grand Parade, in front of City Hall.