The federal government passed legislation in June 2021 in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which calls “upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 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.”
As a result of this action, September 30th, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is a new annual federal statutory holiday to publicly commemorate the history and ongoing trauma caused by residential schools.
This statutory holiday becomes a paid day off for workers and employees in federally-regulated workplaces.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a designated provincial statutory holiday in British Columbia. As such, provincially-regulated employers in BC are not required to provide September 30 as a statutory holiday to employees, unless they choose to do so.
According to the BC government, provincial public-sector employers will be honouring this day and will be closed. In BC, many public services will remain open but may be operating at reduced levels. However, most schools, post-secondary institutions, some health sector workplaces, and Crown corporations will be closed.
Regardless whether your organization provides the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a day off to employees, we all are encouraged to use September 30th as a day to reflect on reconciliation and to recognize the legacy of residential schools.
While many of our clients will remain open on September 30, they are recognizing the day in many different ways including:
- Using the day as a learning and education day with Indigenous representatives to learn about the history and legacy of residential schools.
- Learning about the meaning of Orange Shirt Day, which has taken place on September 30 in recent years to honour children who suffered in the residential school system.
- Providing time for quiet contemplation to honour those who were lost and the survivors, families and communities affected.
- Hosting a staff meeting to acknowledge the day and discuss the necessity for truth and reconciliation.
- Recognizing the day as an opportunity to enhance workplace culture by providing company-wide training on equity, diversity and inclusion.
Below are some additional resources and references to support your efforts to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30:
- Orange Shirt Day
- National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation
- UBC Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
- Indigenous Canada – a free online course offered by the University of Alberta, Faculty of Native Studies
