Wear your orange shirt and join us in honoring residential school survivors
September 30th is Orange Shirt Day. The Orange Shirt refers to the new shirt given to Phyllis (Jack) Webstad by her grandmother for her first day at SJM Residential School. Read Phyllis Webstad’s compelling story here: https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html
Indigenous children were separated from their families and disconnected from their culture when they were sent to Residential Schools. Many students suffered abuse and food was scarce. Malnourishment led to frequent outbreaks of diseases and it is estimated that at least 3,200 children died in Residential Schools. In 2008, the Canadian government issued a formal apology to the Indigenous people of Canada, acknowledging the policy of assimilation was wrong, caused great harm, and had a lasting negative impact on Indigenous communities.
We want to honor the survivors and families of Residential Schools across Canada. We hope to create opportunities for discussion about our country’s history and share the message of this day that every child matters!
Starting today until September 30th, everyone wearing an orange shirt at Boulderz Etobicoke and Junction, and for any Boulderz social media tag, Boulderz will donate $1 to the Ojibiiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network.
Learn more about them here: https://ojibiikaan.com/
Join us! Wear your orange shirt to Boulderz, tag us on social media, and help us donate to the amazing Ojibiiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network.
Learn about Boulderz Diversity and Inclusion committee members and our mission statement. here