2023 TRUTH & RECONCILIATION EVENTS IN METRO VANCOUVER

While Orange Shirt Day has been recognized in a variety of ways since 2013, this year Canadians will observe the 3rd National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, 2023. BC schools will be closed, and many families are looking for opportunities to reflect and learn in a respectful way. We have rounded up a number of in-person Truth & Reconciliation Day events in Kelowna, Maple Ridge, Nanaimo, New Westminster, North Vancouver,  Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, Whistler, as well as virtual gatherings you can join from home.

Plus you can continue the learning at home with these books & movies.

KELOWNA

Truth and Reconciliation: (Un)learn with Kelowna Museum
Address: 470 Queensway Avenue, Kelowna, BC
Date & Time: September 30, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Website:  https://www.kelownamuseums.ca/event/truth-and-reconciliation/
Highlights: Join the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 at the Okanagan Heritage Museum. Their all-ages guided and self-guided stations help you learn about the history and culture of the syilx people, both pre-contact and post-contact.

MAPLE RIDGE

The Healing Journey Continues Through Truth and Reconciliation 
Address: Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge, BC
Date & Time:  September 30th – 10:00 am
Website: https://www.mapleridge.ca/Calendar
Highlights: The Fraser River Indigenous Society has put together this event in support with the local indigenous communities, the Katzie First Nations, and local community partners to support and bring awareness to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

NANAIMO

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
Address: 745 Third Street, BC
Date & Time: September 30th, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Website:  https://www.nanaimo.ca/parks-recreation-culture/parks-events/Nationaldayfortruthandreconciliation
Highlights:  The public is invited to unite in wellness for a community event for health and reconciliation. Free activities include open swims and skates, gymnasium sports, a family play room, interactive booths, arts and crafts, a story walk, scavenger hunt, bouncy castles, cookie decorating, games and activities, refreshments and food trucks, plus event t-shirt sales (while supplies last) and more!

NEW WESTMINSTER

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Teaching Pow Wow: Voices of our Children
Address: 1 6th Street, New Westminster, BC
Date & Time:  September 30th, 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Website: https://www.newwestcity.ca/calendar-of-events/events/7397/2023-09.php
Highlights: Spirit of the Children Society will host this pow wow with activities for the whole family including host drum by StarChild, dancing by Wild Moccasin Dancers, a marketplace with Indigenous vendors, food and drinks from food trucks and concession, plus more! Please bring a water bottle, chairs or blanket.

NORTH VANCOUVER

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
Address: 115 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, BC
Date & Time: September 30th, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Website: https://theshipyardsdistrict.ca/event/national-day-of-truth-and-reconciliation
Highlights: Join the activities all day at MONOVA to engage and learn through hands-on activities designed to inspire reflection and meaningful dialogue for guests of all ages

SURREY

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
Address: Multiple Venues, Surrey, BC
Date & Time:  September 30th
Website: https://www.surrey.ca/news-events/events/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation
Highlights: The City of Surrey invites and encourage everyone to join in observing and participating in this important day, with many ways to recognize the holiday ranging from quiet reflection to active participation in a community event. Join Skookum Surrey at Holland Park for an afternoon of drumming, sharing, tea, and bannock, or check out the Surrey Local Immigration Partnership at DIVERSEcity Community Campus for a session from the Surrey First Peoples’ Guide for Newcomers. You can also explore the Surrey Local Immigration Partnership at Museum of Surrey for Stories from the Land, an opportunity to hear Indigenous stories from south of the Fraser River and share a meal in community, or tour Surrey’s Indigenous Public Art Collection.

VANCOUVER

Orange Shirt Day
Address: 3360 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC
Date & Time: September 30th, 1:00 pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/848899293463124
Highlights: On September 30, the Nisga’a Ts’amiks Vancouver Society, and the Trout Lake Community Centre will honour the children who survived the Indian Residential Schools and remember those that didn’t. Join them to show solidarity in and help us raise awareness about residential schools and their lasting impact on Indigenous peoples.

Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day
Address: 1985 Learners’ Walk, Vancouver, BC
Date & Time: September 30th, 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Website: https://apsc.ubc.ca/event/2023/intergenerational-march-to-commemorate-orange-shirt-day
Highlights: Join the intergenerational march to commemorate Orange Shirt Day (OSD). Members of the UBC community, families and those in solidarity are welcome to participate. The march is intergenerational, and aims to be educational and supportive to the Indigenous community on campus and beyond. Educational activities will allow younger participants to connect with the original inhabitants of the land and plant a seed to continue these conversations about a difficult era in Canadian history at home.

Neighbourhood Food Week: Orange Shirt Day
Address: 700 Templeton Drive, Vancouver, BC
Date & Time: September 30th,  2:00 pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/780586987147500
Highlights: Commemorate Orange Shirt Day in Community at the Templeton Pool Welcome Garden. Let’s gather and remember together. Performance by Indigenous Women Rise Drum Group, Elder stories, Indigenous Plant Walk, snacks, tea and more!

WEST VANCOUVER

Storytelling, Songs, and Crafts with Lisa Lewis
Address: 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC
Date & Time: October 2nd, 11:00 am
Website: https://westvanlibrary.ca/event/storytelling-songs-and-crafts-with-lisa-lewis-ages-5-9/
Highlights: Join Lisa Lewis, a Squamish Nation author, as she reads her book Tsunaxen’s Journey and teaches traditional Squamish songs and crafts. Children must be accompanied by a caregiver.

WHISTLER

National Truth & Reconciliation Day at SLCC
Address: 4329 Main Street, Whistler, BC
Date & Time: September 30th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Website: https://slcc.ca/ndtr/
Highlights: You are invited to experience and connect with immersive programming and storytelling of Skwxwú7mesh and Líl̓wat7úl at the SLCC, the living culture of the original people of the shared territory where Whistler resides. FREE ADMISSION thanks to Proud Partner CIBC

VIRTUAL

Truth & Reconciliation Week 2022
Date & Time: September 26th – 30th, 2022
Website: https://nctr.ca/education/coming-soon-truth-and-reconciliation-week-2023/trw2023-gen/
Highlights: Truth and Reconciliation Week 2023 is a national program open to all schools across Canada. This year, the theme is “Honouring Survivors”. Join them for this immersive experience, as they memorialize the children lost to the residential school system and honour Survivors and their families. Learning and commemorating the truth of our history from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledge keepers is an important part of the path to Reconciliation, as is UN-learning the myths of colonial history in Canada. This year includes an expanded program with age-appropriate material for students in grades 1 through 12.

Weaving Cultural Identities  
Date & Time: September 30th
Website: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=gaaWbvYL3CK
Highlights: Take a virtual tour of this exhibit from Vancouver Biennale that brings Indigenous and Islamic communities together in a collaborative exploration of weaving traditions and histories. The works unpack uneasy issues of belonging, displacement, diaspora, the land, and identity.

WHERE TO BUY AN ORANGE SHIRT

One of the ways you can show your support on the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (aka Orange Shirt Day) is by wearing orange. Be mindful of purchasing your shirt from Indigenous designers and businesses, and/or the official retail partners of the Orange Shirt Society. We recommend ordering online, or calling ahead before visiting a store as Orange Shirts are in high demand and sell out quickly!