Press Releases

TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG, Man. — APTN, CBC/Radio-Canada, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the three partners working collaboratively on the annual production of the national commemorative gathering, Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

Supported by Canadian Heritage, Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will honour residential school Survivors, pay tribute to the children who never made it home and deliver a safe and nurturing environment for reconciliation and healing.  

“The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation serves as a reminder of the painful legacy of residential schools and calls on all Canadians to renew their commitment to understanding history and empathetic healing. This year’s broadcast and gathering on Parliament Hill will offer us a chance to come together and listen to Survivors and Indigenous communities whose stories will lead us on the path to reconciliation.”
       – The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage 

Hosted by Earl Wood and Danielle Rochette, the multilingual commemorative event will encompass powerful reflections from Survivors Jacquie Pizendewatch, Madeleine Basile, Keith Cheifmoon, Joan Dicker,  Brian Normand and Charlotte Nolin. There will be moving performances by First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists including Tom Jackson, Diyet & The Love Soldiers, Andrina Turenne and Jessica Sparvier-Wells. 

“Remembering the Children is a significant commemoration that honours residential school Survivors, their families and pays tribute to the children who never made it home from those institutions. This is an opportunity for all Canadians to take active part in reconciliation by listening to the voices of Survivors and amplifying their truths. We are forever grateful to the Survivors who continue to bravely share their oral histories with us so we never forget.” 
       – Stephanie Scott, Executive Director for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation 

The 90-minute live event will be presented in English, French, and Plains Cree and will take place on Parliament Hill. It will be available live on APTN, APTN Languages, aptnnews.ca, CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem, CBC News Explore, cbcnews.ca, the CBC News app, the CBC NewsYouTube channel, ICI TÉLÉ, ICI TOU.TV, Radio-Canada.ca, and Espaces autochtones, and made available to all Canadian broadcasters to ensure that audiences across the country can tune in and join on the collective journey towards reconciliation. 

Participating networks include: 

• Blue Ant Media: T+E, Makeful, Cottage Life, Smithsonian and BBC 
• The Canadian Press 
• CHCH TV 
• City TV: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg 
• CPAC 
• CTV2, CTV Apps, CTV NewsChannel, CTV News App, CTVNews.ca, Crave 
• Hollywood Suite 
• Inuit TV 
• Knowledge Network 
• OUTtv 
• TFO 
• Unis TV 
• Uvagut TV

Radio partners include: 

• CKRZ 100.3 FM Radio 
• ELMNT FM 
• Humber College Radio 
• MBC Radio 
• NCI FM 

APTN News will present a 30-minute pre-show live from Ottawa at 2:30 p.m. ET hosted by Dennis Ward. Dennis will provide live updates from Parliament Hill, covering the event’s happenings on location. In Winnipeg, Creeson Agecoutay will host in studio with special guest Geraldine Shingoose, a residential school Survivor. 

CBC Radio One will also broadcast a special evening program at 8 p.m./8:30 p.m. NT that will include highlights from the events earlier in the day, plus interviews with special guests. 

“As the national public broadcaster, one of our most significant responsibilities is to reflect the experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit across Canada. We are honoured to work together with APTN and the NCTR to help Canadians remember the children, recognize the Survivors of residential schools, and reflect on their role in the ongoing journey toward Truth and Reconciliation in this country.”
       – Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada 

The public is invited to attend the commemorative gathering on Monday, September 30 at 3 p.m. ET on Parliament Hill. Attendees are encouraged to bring a pair of traditional shoes to place at the front of the stage in honour of all the Indigenous children who have gone missing. After the event, the footwear will be donated to charity.  

For those who are unable to participate or watch on the day of, the broadcast will be available for streaming on APTN lumi on October 2.  

“Commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not just a day of reflection but a call-to-action for healing and understanding. At APTN, we are committed to honouring the resilience of residential school Survivors by offering programming that sheds light on their stories, fosters dialogue and encourages all Canadians to walk this path of reconciliation together.”
       – Monika Ille, APTN CEO 

Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be a key part of APTN’s day of programming on September 30. The network will broadcast 24 hours of special programming to honour residential, day and boarding school Survivors, their families and their communities. The lineup will feature a range of educational and thought-provoking series and documentaries including Every Child Matters: Reconciliation Through Education, Reconciliation & Me, Pour toi Flora and the world broadcast premiere of WaaPaKe (Tomorrow). For specific showtimes and more information, visit aptntv.ca/ndtr and APTN’s special feature. 

– 30 – 

About NDTR   

NDTR: A Call to Action
The idea of a federally recognized holiday dedicated to reconciliation was originally proposed in 2015 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) as part of their 94 Calls to Action. In Call to Action #80, the TRC called upon the federal government, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, to establish a statutory holiday “to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” NDTR is a day to reaffirm to Survivors and all those who have been affected by the residential school system, that they matter and they will never be forgotten.    

The significance of September 30
NDTR takes place annually on September 30. This date was chosen because it is the time of year when children were taken from their homes and forced to go to residential schools. The timing also presents an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the upcoming school year. It encourages Indigenous Peoples, local governments, schools and communities to come together and create a more equitable world for future generations. Since 2013, September 30 has been observed as Orange Shirt Day, a movement to recognize the colonial legacy of residential schools and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day recalls the experience of residential school Survivor Phyllis Webstad, who at age six was stripped of her brand-new orange shirt on her first day attending the St. Joseph Mission Residential School near Williams Lake, B.C. 

Residential Schools
Residential schools were government-sponsored Christian schools that were established to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture. Although the first residential facilities were established in the early 1600s, the term usually refers to schools established after 1880, as this is when they began to receive funding from the federal government. Residential schools permanently disrupted lives and communities, creating intergenerational traumas that continue to impact Indigenous Peoples today. The last residential school closed in 1996.  

About NCTR
The NCTR is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of the residential school experience will be honoured and kept safe for future generations. The NCTR was created as part of the mandate of the TRC. The TRC was charged to listen to Survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system and educate Canadians about their experiences. The resulting collection of statements, documents and other materials now forms the sacred heart of the NCTR.  

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dehcho Dene Yati, Dënesųłıné (Chipewyan), Eastern Cree, Gwich’in, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, Sahtu Got’ine Godi, and Tłı̨chǫ (Tlicho). We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world. 

About APTN
APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world. Since then, the network has become a global leader in programming that celebrates the rich diversity of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island and beyond. A respected charitable broadcaster, APTN shares authentic stories to Canadian households through basic channel packages via two distinct HD channels: APTN (English and French language programming) and APTN Languages (Indigenous language programming). APTN proudly features over 80% Canadian content and inspires audiences via multiple platforms, including its Indigenous-focused streaming service, APTN lumi.

Media Contacts: 

Joëlle Saltel
Manager of Communications, APTN
(431) 557-9909
[email protected]          

Cali Timmins
Senior Consultant, Media Profile
(647) 206-5787
[email protected] 

Eric Wright
Senior Specialist, Media Relations, CBC/Radio-Canada
[email protected]