National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada

Date and legal status

The holiday falls on September 30 each year. Parliament created it through Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on June 3, 2021, in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.[1]

The federal holiday rules apply to federal public service employees and employees of federally regulated employers. The Canada Labour Code entitles covered employees to a paid day off, although employees may be required to work under the Code’s holiday-pay rules. For covered employees whose regular non-working day is a Saturday or Sunday, the law provides a paid holiday on the working day immediately before or after September 30.[1][2]

The federal law does not make September 30 a paid public holiday for every worker in Canada. Provinces and territories set rules for many other workplaces. For example, British Columbia lists the date as a statutory holiday, while Alberta lists it as an optional general holiday that employers may choose to recognize.[3][4]

History and meaning

The day’s meaning is rooted in Canada’s residential school system. These schools existed from the 17th century until the late 1990s; during the 19th and 20th centuries, a formal system expanded across the country. At least 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children attended. The schools were largely operated by churches and funded and administered by the federal government as part of colonial efforts to suppress Indigenous cultures and identities.[5]

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 80 asked the federal government, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, to establish a statutory day honouring Survivors, their families and communities, and keeping the history and legacy of residential schools in public memory. Parliament made the holiday in response to that call.[1][2]

How people observe the day

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day. The orange shirt recalls Survivor Phyllis Webstad’s account of having a new shirt taken away on her first day at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in British Columbia. Wearing orange has become a way to remember the children affected by residential schools and express that every child matters.[2]

People can mark the day by learning about residential schools and their lasting effects, reflecting, or attending a local commemorative gathering. Canadian Heritage notes that public activities and gatherings take place in communities across the country; local programmes differ, so check with organizers for details.[2]

Work, services and planning

There is no single nationwide closure pattern for shops, public services or transport. The Canada Labour Code does not prohibit work on a general holiday, and the rules for workers outside federal jurisdiction depend on the applicable provincial or territorial law. In Alberta, for instance, the day is optional for provincially regulated employers unless they choose to recognize it.[2][3]

If you need to visit an office, bank, shop or travel on September 30, check that organization’s or transport operator’s own hours and service notices. A holiday on the federal calendar alone does not establish that every local service will close.[2][3]