September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It honours the Survivors of residential schools, the children who never came home, and the families and communities who carry that history today.
Alberta was home to 25 federally recognized residential schools. The last one closed in 1988. The harms did not end there. They shape the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous communities across the province, and they shape the work of crime prevention itself.
ACCPA’s work rests on a simple idea: safe communities are built with people, not for them. That has to include listening to Indigenous Survivors, leaders, and communities, and acting on what we hear. Today we encourage our members to wear orange, to learn, and to reflect on their own role in reconciliation.
Support is available for Survivors and their families through the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419, 24 hours a day.
