“Orange Shirt Day” march to honour survivors and the memory of residential school victims and their families

On this second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as “Orange Shirt Day”, Bishop’s University and Champlain College again organized the “Every Child Matters” memorial march to honour survivors as well as the memory of victims of residential schools and their families.

The event represents the culmination of the Week of Truth and Reconciliation that brought together member institutions of the Pôle régional en enseignement supérieur de l’Estrie (PRESE), including Champlain and Bishop’s as well as the CÉGEP de Sherbrooke, and the Université de Sherbrooke.

Vicky Boldo, Special Advisor – Indigenous Student Support, and Shawna Jerome, Assistant – Indigenous Student Support, will greet the community at the heart of the Bishop’s University campus. Camilla Rizzi, President of the Representative Council (SRC) of Bishop’s University, invites participants to march through the streets of the Borough of Lennoxville. Students and teachers from Lennoxville Elementary School and Sherbrooke Elementary School, Bishop’s College School as well as Alexander-Galt High School also signed up for the demonstration.

The end of the 60-minute is located at Coulter field at Bishop’s University with student athletes distributing orange cards to participants to form each letter of the phrase “Every Child Matters”, to allow a drone to capture an aerial photo of the moment.

The event includes speeches by students from Bishop’s University and representatives of PRESE member institutions, including Lois Dana, Student Life Advisor – Aboriginal and Intercultural Affairs, Champlain College Lennoxville, and Jesse Lepage from Université de Sherbrooke.

Orange Shirt Day

The meaning of Orange shirt day is based on the story of Phyllis Webstad, an Indigenous girl who was taken from her community in 1973 in British Columbia. Her grandmother gave her a new orange outfit for her first day of school. When she arrived at the residential school, all her belongings, including the outfit, were confiscated, and destroyed. Each year, Canadians are encouraged to wear orange on September 30 in memory of the tragic impact of residential schools, the missing children, the families affected and the survivors of these institutions.

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MEDIA REQUESTS:
Sonia Patenaude
Manager of Communications
spatenau@ubishops.ca
819-342-2587