First Voice to Hold Rally at Colonial Building for Orange Shirt Day

First Voice today is calling on all residents of the St. John’s metro area to mark Orange Shirt Day by standing in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples at a rally for reconciliation. The rally takes place at Colonial Building in St. John’s this Saturday starting at 2:45 p.m.

Orange Shirt Day began in 2013 in Williams Lake, British Columbia to promote public awareness about the ongoing legacy of harm from residential schools in Canada. Since then, it has become a national movement to honour survivors of residential schools and those who never made it home to their families.

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Stacey Howse, Executive Director of First Light Friendship Centre, which is the lead partner in First Voice, says the rally is an opportunity for the public to show support for survivors and their families.

She encourages people to use the hash tag #whyiwearorange.