Orange Shirt Day is back in Cambridge for its fourth annual event for Truth and Reconciliation.
On Sept. 30, starting at 7 p.m. the local indigenous community will gather at Civic Square at Cambridge city hall to remember the lives lost at residential schools.
"National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to honour survivors, their families and communities on the tragic events and ongoing legacy of residential schools. The day is also a time to commit to truth, justice, and reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis across the region and Canada," said the City of Cambridge on its website.
The event will be hosted by the Kitchener Waterloo Urban Native Wigwam Project (KWUNWP) which is wrapping up construction on an affordable housing complex for indigenous people at 37 Cambridge Street, just steps from city hall.
After a short introduction and a few quest speakers, attendees will be asked to walk down the road to the KWUNWP location for a drumming circle, sacred fire and candle-lit moment of silence.
Event organizers ask that anyone who attends wear orange, bring a drum and medicine and if they can, as well as a chair.
The Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre, Waterloo Wellington and the Crow Shield Lodge are partnering with KWUNWP to bring the event back to Cambridge for a fourth consecutive year.
They are are also encouraging the community to wear Orange on Sept. 30 for Orange Shirt Day.
"The orange shirt has become a symbol of hope, reconciliation and a commitment to a better future. By wearing an orange shirt on September 30th, you make a statement to support reconciliation and commit to the enduring truth that EVERY CHILD MATTERS," wrote the organizers on the event page.
The city will also raise the survivor flag at city hall and light the Cambridge sign orange on September 30.
"Public commemoration of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are vital components of the reconciliation process," reads the website.
To find more information on the organizers and to learn about Truth and Reconciliation, visit the city's website.
