Events happening in Ottawa for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at events happening in Ottawa on Friday to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The OTTAWA sign in the ByWard Market, the Heritage Building at Ottawa City Hall and Marion Dewar Plaza will be illuminated in orange on Friday, and all flags at Ottawa City Hall and at City Facilities will be lowered to half-mast in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill will also be illuminated in orange from 7 p.m. on Friday to sunrise on Oct. 1.

Remember Me: National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Ceremony

The Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada is hosting, "Remember Me: A National Day of Remembrance" on Parliament Hill on Friday.

The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with a welcoming ceremony and round dance with Native North American Traveling College, Akwesasne. An opening ceremony will be held at 10 a.m., and events will continue all morning.

A Travelling Song and Spirit Walk from Parliament Hill to LeBreton Flats will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Remember Me: A National Day of Remembrance spirit walk

The "Remember Me: A National Day of Remembrance" spirit walk will begin at Parliament Hill at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, led by children and residential school survivors.  They will make their way to the stage at LeBreton Flats Park, where Indigenous children's footwear will be placed.

APTN and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation will host a one-hour commemorative gathering at LeBreton Flats. 

The event will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Beechwood Cemetery

The Beechwood Cemetery Foundation is collaborating with First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of 7 Generations to host a day committed to reconciliation.

The Beechwood National Memorial Center's Sacred Space will screen the short film, "Spirit Bear and Children Make History".  Following the screening, visitors can take a 45-minute Reconciliation Tour, where you can learn about key historical figures who were involved in Residential Schools and learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action.

Nick McCarthy of Beechwood Cemetery tells Newstalk 580 CFRA the tours feature the final resting places of a number of key figures in the residential school system.

"We've had this wonderful program called Reconciling History," McCarthy told Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron.

"We look at sort of telling the truth of all these different figures buried at the cemetery, in a meaningful way. We don't necessarily demonize everyone; what we do is sort of celebrate their victories but also show the other side."

For more information, visit https://beechwoodottawa.ca/.

Beechwood will also unveil a plaque at the James Hope and Sons Building on Sparks Street Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Reconciliation Walking Tours

The Reconciling History Walking Tour is a free, self-guided walking route in downtown Ottawa.

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society says each point of interest is an opportunity to learn about the role of non-Indigenous peoples and the federal government in residential schools, and the lessons we can learn from history to address contemporary injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples.

For more information, visit https://fncaringsociety.com/what-you-can-do/ways-make-difference/reconciling-history/reconciliation-walking-tours.

Mamawi Together Survivors' Gathering 

Mamawi Together Survivors Gathering is a multifaceted event series aimed at bringing communities together during Truth and Reconciliation Week.

Hear the testimonies of survivors from Ottawa, Quebec and Northern Canada, take part in cultural and traditional celebrations and honour those affected by the residential school system.

A Speakers Series will be held at LeBreton Flats on Thursday. The event begins at 10 a.m. with the Lighting of the Sacred Fire, followed by opening remarks. Events will continue all day.

For more information, visit https://www.mamawitogether.com/survivors-gathering-2022?mc_cid=4dec76c373&mc_eid=606e47b449

Canadian Museum of History

The Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. is inviting Canadians to join the conversation for truth and reconciliation.

You can visit the residential schools section of the Canadian History Hall. Visitors are also invited to learn more through the histories, voices and artworks in the Grand Hall and the First Peoples Hall.

The CINE+ at the Canadian Museum of History will screen the film, "Picking Up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket" on Friday.

Admission to the Canadian Museum of History will be free on Friday.

For more information about online and in-person exhibits, visit the museum website. 

Museums

• The Canadian Museum of Nature is offering free admission on Friday.
• The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is offering free admission on Friday.
• The Canada Science and Technology Museum is offering free admission on Friday.
• The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is offering free service on Friday. 
• The Canadian War Museum is offering free admission on Friday. 
• The Canadian Museum of History is offering free admission on Friday.
• The National Gallery of Canada is offering free admission on Friday.

Algonquin College

Algonquin College is hosting a series of events on Friday for students and employees at its campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth.

Students are invited to the Mamidosewin Centre in Ottawa to share a meal, "make sense of what reconciliation means to them" and take part in "supportive dialogue," according to the college.

• 9:30 a.m.: Morning smudge and welcome breakfast
• 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Chili and bannock lunch
• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Speakers Series: The History of Colonization from Pre-Contact to Truth and Reconciliation led by Eric Johnston and Jackie Tenute
• Film Screening, Nawapon (Ottawa campus), 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Pembroke Campus

• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Ceremony, 9:40 a.m. Join in a Special Truth and Reconciliation ceremony led by Kampus Kokum and Campus Elder in the Commons.
• Kairos Blanket Exercise, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join the Pembroke campus in the gymnasium for an interactive session to experience teaching tools that share the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Carleton University

Carleton University is marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with an event called, Braiding Truth, Reconciliation and Rights.

It's a conversation with Madeleine Redfern of Iqaluit. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. in Richcraft Hall.

Carleton University will also host an unveiling ceremony for the Journey of the Baby Vamp: Honouring the Lives of the Missing Children from Residential Schools.

For more information, visit the Carleton University website.

University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa is inviting the public to attend a ceremony to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which will feature guest speakers from the community.

The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. in the University Square.

An educational exhibit, called "Where are the Children? Healing the Impacts of Residential Schools" is on display in the Atrium of Roger Guindon Hall until Friday.

For more information, visit the uOttawa website. 

March to rename the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway

Members of the public are invited to join Elders and residential school survivors for a march to call on the federal government to change the name of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.

The walk begins with a welcome and Indigenous drumming and song at 8:30 a.m. at the National War Memorial.