What’s open and closed on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Toronto
Published September 27, 2024 at 12:53 pm
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30 and some services will not be operating.
The day recognizes how Canada’s residential schools tragically impacted Indigenous families and communities.
Celebrated alongside Orange Shirt Day, the day commemorates the loss of Indigenous people at the hands of residential schools and honours their families as well as survivors.
What’s closed in Toronto on Monday, Sept. 30:
- Banks
- Canada Post
- Canada Revenue Agency
- Passport services
Services, including city hall, community centres, museums and public libraries, will be open in Toronto.
Flags at City Hall, civic centres and other City facilities will be at half-mast. The Survivors’ Flag will be at half-mast at City Hall and civic centres. The flag is a symbol of remembrance of survivors of the residential school system and all the lives and communities impacted by that system.
The Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be lit up in orange, and currently features an artwork titled Rekindle designed by Toronto-based artist Joseph Sagaj in recognition of UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 to 2032)
Toronto has a Reconciliation Action Plan that will guide the city’s actions towards reconciliation and justice from 2022 to 2032.
To show support, you can wear an orange shirt or pin, available from the Toronto History Museums online shop.
There will be an Indigenous Legacy Gathering at Nathan Phillips Square from Sept. 27 to 30 and a Spirit Garden is opening at Nathan Phillips Square on September 30 at 2 p.m.
The City of Toronto’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation page has resources for education and mental health support.