Join us on Sept 29 for Orange Shirt Day

Background

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in the spring of 2013.

It grew out of Phyllis’s story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission Residential school, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.

The date was chosen because September is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. It is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

The walk

The Aboriginal Health team invite you to join us for the Orange Shirt Day Walk on Friday September 29.

We will be joining the Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre (1607 E Hastings St) and go to Britannia Community Services Centre (1661 Napier St.) along Commercial Drive.

Be at VAFC before 9:30AM to be a part of this historic occasion. Lunch and Refreshments will be served. Orange Shirts will be on sale at both locations, $15 per shirt, cash only.

Can’t make the walk, but still want to participate?

If you can’t make the walk, you can wear an orange shirt to work on Friday in honor of the day and upload a photo of yourself and/or with your colleagues to our Facebook page @VCHAH2015 using the hashtag #orangeshirtday.

Learn more

Listen to Phyllis’s Story in the video below.