Learn the Truth
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
For our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit members, this day carries deep personal and cultural meaning. It is a day to honour residential school survivors, remember the children who never came home, and recognize the impact residential schools continue to have on Indigenous families and communities.
We cannot treat it as simply another day off. It is a day of remembrance, grief, reflection, and action. It deserves to be treated with deep respect and ongoing commitment by all of us across IBEW Canada.
Why This Day Matters
This day is rooted in the story of Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. On her first day at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School in 1973, six-year-old Phyllis had her new, shiny orange shirt, given to her by her grandmother, taken away, never to be returned. Her story sparked the “Orange Shirt Day” movement and the enduring truth that Every Child Matters.
September 30 was established as a federal statutory holiday through Bill C-5 in direct response to TRC Call to Action 80. Bill C-5 received Royal Assent on June 3, 2021.
This day exists to honour residential school survivors, to remember the children who never came home, and to recognize the generational grief carried by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit families, including many of our own members, coworkers, and neighbours.
Orange Shirt Day – In Her Words
Watch Phyllis explain the significance and origins behind Orange Shirt Day
Find more information about Orange Shirt Day at www.orangeshirtday.org. Explore Guides, Activities, and Videos to learn more.
Guided by the IBEW Canada Indigenous Circle
In 2025, IBEW Canada established the IBEW Canada Indigenous Circle to give First Nations, Métis, and Inuit members a stronger voice within our union and help guide our work towards reconciliation.
We asked Circle members what they want to see from IBEW Local Unions and leaders. Their message was clear: Take action and lead by example.
The first step is understanding why Truth and Reconciliation matters, and taking the appropriate steps to educate ourselves and understand the history and significance so we can move forward together with knowledge, understanding, and respect in all areas of life and business.
Start and Continue Your Learning
The following resources have been recommended by members of the IBEW Indigenous Circle to help fellow IBEW members begin or continue their educational journey.
Websites
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
The Government of Canada National Day For Truth and Reconciliation
Canadian Women’s Foundation National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Resources
Books
WHO WE ARE: Four Questions For A Life And A Nation by The Honourable Murray Sinclair cc Mazina Giizhik
THE CIRCLE GAME: Shadows and Substance in the Indian Residential School Experience in Canada by Roland Chrisjohn and Sherri Young with Michael Maraun
SILENCING THE PAST: Power and the Production of History by
LIFE IN THE CITY OF DIRTY WATER by Clayton Thomas-Muller
I WAS A CHILD OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS by Bernice Eisenstein
Additional educational resources are cited through the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Education Resources web page.
Add Your Voice to the IBEW Canada Indigenous Circle
The IBEW Canada Indigenous Circle creates space for First Nations, Métis and Inuit members to connect, share their experiences, and help guide our union’s work toward reconciliation.
If you are a First Nations, Métis or Inuit IBEW member, we want to hear from you.
Join the Circle to receive information about upcoming meetings and opportunities to take part.
Local Union leaders: Please share this invitation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit members in your Local.
What Your Local Can Do
Reconciliation is not limited to a single day on the calendar. We ask every Local Union to use September 30 and the days surrounding it as teachable moments by taking these practical steps recommended by the Circle:
- Create opportunities for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit members to share their experiences and perspectives: Use membership meetings, newsletters, union halls and other communication methods to help members understand the history and meaning of the day.
- Observe a moment of silence at your union hall or on your job sites: On September 30 take time to acknowledge the generational grief carried by Indigenous families.
- Keep learning accessible to members: Keep books, articles, and educational materials about Truth and Reconciliation and our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit kin visible and available in Local Union halls to encourage learning year-round.
- Acknowledge local territories and members: Highlight stories that identify the Indigenous peoples, traditional territories, and Indigenous members within your Local Union’s jurisdiction.
- Show up in your communities: Encourage Local Union leaders, elected officials, and members to attend local Pow Wows, community gatherings, and commemorative events, not just to observe, but to participate in solidarity.
Strengthen Our Collective Agreements
One of the most vital duties of a Local Union Business Manager is negotiating and administering collective agreements. The Business Manager has sole discretion over the composition of each bargaining committee.
We encourage Business Managers to consider First Nations, Métis, and Inuit representation on bargaining committees and advisory groups. Bargaining committees that reflect the diversity of our membership strengthen our agreements and ensure more voices are heard.
Furthermore, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation must be actively prioritized at the bargaining table. We encourage all Local Unions to:
- Bargain for Universal Recognition: Push to have September 30 recognized as a paid statutory holiday in collective agreements to align with the federal standard, regardless of jurisdiction.
- Resist “Floater Day” Trade-Offs: Protect the cultural significance and purpose of September 30th and stand firm against it being treated as a floater or personal day.
- Advocate for Provincial Recognition: Support labour efforts calling on provinces that have not recognized September 30 as a statutory holiday to do so.
Share Information About the IBEW Canada Indigenous Circle
Let members know about the IBEW Canada Indigenous Circle: remind members that the Circle exists and encourage them to participate. Members can express their interest via this form, or by reaching out to IBEW Canada International Representative, Kate Buinimasi, kate_buinimasi@ibew.org.
Moving Forward in Solidarity
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation gives us an opportunity to listen, learn and act. Our Indigenous Circle reminds us that this day is more than a holiday.
We ask every Local Union, leader, and member to honour its meaning by listening, learning, and taking action this year and every year.