Orange Shirt Day

Join us from 2pm on at the Beechwood National Cemetery for an afternoon of activities to honour Orange Shirt Day this September 30, 2025. We kindly ask that you register to participate in the tours. *Registration link coming soon.

Reconciling History Walking Tours

• These 45-minute tours take you through the grounds of Beechwood Cemetery to learn about the key figures involved in the residential school system, while also learning more about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. 

Action Tables

• We invite you to visit the action table after the tour to make art and write letters to elected officials to help advance the Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People Calls for Justice. 

Call for Artists: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2025 at Beechwood Cemetery

Beechwood Cemetery and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society is seeking artists to contribute visual artwork for display during our 2025 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event, taking place on 30 September 2025.

We are inviting artists to share in this annual event honouring the Survivors of residential schools, the children who never returned home, and the ongoing journey of truth and reconciliation.  
 

Art Submission Details:

We welcome submissions from artists of all mediums — painting, photography, sculpture, textile, and mixed media— that engage with the TRC Calls to Action, reconciliation, and truth telling in respectful and thought-provoking ways.

Event Details:

• Location: Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario
• Date:  30 September 2025
• Submission Deadline: 7 September 2025
• Eligibility: Open to emerging and established artists across Canada

Selected artworks will be displayed in designated indoor spaces, with opportunities for artists to speak about their work during the event if desired.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of a national conversation and help foster reconciliation, education, and remembrance through the power of art.

To learn more, please contact: ewagner@beechwoodottawa.ca

For generations, residential school Survivors and their families have bravely shared the truth behind Canada’s Indian Residential School System. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission listened to these truths and created a roadmap to reconciliation in the form of 94 Calls to Action to redress the legacy of the residential school system. Within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, the Commission called for a national day to honour First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children who both survived and who were lost to residential schools.

September 30^th is Orange Shirt Day, also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. To learn more about Orange Shirt Day, please visit the Orange Shirt Society's website and read Phyllis (Jack) Webstad's story and listen to her message here. We encourage you to commit to honouring residential school survivors and their families and supporting the legacy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by reading the 94 Calls to Action and identifying ways you can contribute to reconciliation.

Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for education, reflection, truth-telling and taking action, but you can get involved in reconciliation at any time of the year. If you are unable to join in on the in-person events hosted by the Caring Society or in your community, there are still a number of things you can do to honour the day from wherever you are!

Learn:

The Reconciling History initiative invites people to learn from the past in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its Calls to Action. Explore the Reconciling History Tour virtually and learn about the complete and true story of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. 

Take Action:

Share the Reconciling History Tour on social media and with it, share the ways that you’re committing to reconciliation. Be sure to tag us in your post @CaringSociety on Twitter, @SpiritBearAndFriends on Instagram, and @FirstNationsChildandFamilyCaringSocietyofCanada on Facebook.

Learn:

We encourage you to read through the Spirit Bear’s Guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action

Take Action:

Using the template provided, write letters to the Prime Minister and your Member of Parliament for the full implementation of the TRC Calls to Action. Mail may be sent postage-free to the Prime Minister and any Member of Parliament at the following addresses: