Content warning: This event relates to Residential Schools and deals with difficult topics.
In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action, Canada designated Sept. 30 National Truth and Reconciliation Day to provide an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools and to honour their survivors, their families and communities.
In New Brunswick, many Wolastoqey, Mi’kmaq and Peskotomuhkati children were sent to the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia until it was closed in 1967. At the same time, thousands of others were sent to Indian day schools across the province until the last one closed in 1992.
Orange Shirt Day originates from the testimony of Phyllis Webstad, from the Stwecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. In 1973, on her first day at St. Joseph’s residential school in Wiliams Lake, BC, six-year-old Phyllis wore her new orange shirt gifted to her by her grandmother for the occasion. When she arrived at school, she was stripped of her orange shirt, her hair was cut and she never saw her shirt again. Phyllis’ story is emblematic of children’s experiences at residential schools across Canada.
It is appropriate that the news of these children’s deaths and the finding of their remains in unmarked graves across Canada has initiated a time of national mourning. In the spirit of building relationships and processing this grief on a more local level, UNB staff, faculty and students will gather with Wabanaki peoples in ceremony to honour survivors like Phyllis Webstad and pay tribute to the children who did not return home from residential schools.
On Sept. 30 – which is both Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a commemorative ceremony will be held on both campuses to honour the survivors of residential schools and to commemorate the children who did not return home.
Sept. 30, 2025 | 10 a.m.
Fredericton: Performance Gym, Richard J. CURRIE CENTER, fourth floor
Saint John: Oland Hall, room 103
To participate, we are encouraging the UNB community to write their reflections on an orange heart that will be provided at the event. They will then be placed in a commemorative space where they will be displayed. In addition, there will also be traditional smudging offered.
Participants are encouraged to wear orange shirts in recognition of the day. While in-person attendance is encouraged, a livestream will be available for those unable to join.
The grand opening of the Healing Garden will take place after the commemorative event. The Wabanaki Healing Garden is a sacred space for renewal, reflection and connection with nature. Created through the collaboration of Wabanaki Elders and the UNB community, it stands as a tribute to ancestral traditions and a shared commitment to healing and learning.
Sept. 30, 2025
1 p.m.
Behind Marshall D'Avray Hall, Fredericton campus
For more information about the event, please contact piluwitahasuwin@unb.ca.
As an expression of our strides toward a better tomorrow, we encourage our UNB community to place an orange heart in residence and office windows around our campuses.
Adding these hearts to our windows was an idea put forth by the Indigenous Elders and leaders in our UNB community. This is a gesture to honour the lives of the children who never returned home along with the families and communities who are mourning the discovery of their remains.
All faculty, staff and students can pick up an orange heart at the following locations on campus starting on Sept. 19:
If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed, struggling with mental health or experiencing thoughts of suicide, support is available.
These services offer confidential, compassionate and trauma-informed support for anyone experiencing emotional distress, thoughts of suicide or other mental health challenges.
If you are facing an urgent or life-threatening situation, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
