Orange Shirt Day Walk honours reconciliation in Calgary

A pair of groups are putting on a walk for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Calgary on September 30.

Colouring It Forward Reconciliation Society and the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) are hosting the Pokaiks Commemorative Walk and IndigiTRAILS – Remembering Our Children event, also referred to as the Orange Shirt Day Walk.

The event will take place at Prince’s Island Park on September 30. Both groups invite Calgarians to participate in the walk designed to stand in solidarity with survivors of the residential school system and honour victims.

The walk follows a 30-minute route through Prince’s Island Park. There will be seven art installations created by Indigenous Youth along the route.

It will get started at 9:30 am and will be followed by several different events throughout the day, including traditional drumming and dancing performances, a reconciliation panel, and comments from Indigenous community members. There will also be food and drinks to enjoy!

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The day will wrap up with the CIF Reconciliation Society putting on a production at Calgary Ars Commons at 7 pm. It is called New Blood – A Story of Reconciliation, featuring poetry, music, and contemporary and traditional dance. The Indigenous youth production is inspired by the life of Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman and his experience in a residential school as a child, and how he became the chief of his people.

This free event is one of several events in the city honouring Orange Shirt Day, which started in 2013.

The City of Calgary suggests people wear Orange shirts and follow these calls to action to help the reconciliation process.

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is not recognized in Alberta as a statutory holiday, with the government leaving it up to employers to implement it.