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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2025: What You Need to Know About September 30

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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2025: Understanding September 30's Significance Across Canada

Quick Facts: The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed September 30. Tuesday Sept. 30 is Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, a day dedicated to honouring those affected by the residential school system.

Key Takeaways

  • The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (sometimes shortened to T&R Day) (NDTR), originally and still colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day, is a Canadian day of memorial to recognize the atrocities and multi-generational effects of the Canadian Indian residential school system. It occurs every year on September 30.
  • Canada designated Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021 and has observed it as a federal statutory holiday ever since.
  • Only four provinces/territories will grant all workers the day off.

What is Truth and Reconciliation Day?

The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission ran from 2008 to 2015 and provided those directly or indirectly affected by the legacy of the residential schools policy with an opportunity to share their stories and experiences. The Commission released its final report detailing 94 calls to action. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a direct response to Call to Action 80, which called for a federal statutory day of commemoration.

Is Truth and Reconciliation Day a Statutory Holiday?

Truth and Reconciliation Day is a federal holiday on which postal workers, federal government staffers, and bank employees are given the day off. However, the statutory holiday status varies significantly across provinces:

Provinces Where It IS a Statutory Holiday:

  • British Columbia: B.C. — where the day has been a statutory holiday since 2023. On March 9, 2023, the Province of British Columbia passed legislation to make September 30 a statutory holiday. Enshrining National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in B.C. law gives more people the chance to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system on September 30 each year.
  • Prince Edward Island: Sept. 30 is a statutory holiday for all workers in PEI. Canada's smallest province recognizes Truth and Reconciliation as a holiday and will close schools and government offices.
  • Manitoba: In 2023, the government designated Sept. 30 as Orange Shirt Day, a provincial statutory holiday under the Employment Standards Code.
  • Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon: As of March 2023, NDTR is a statutory holiday for: federal government employees and private-sector employees to whom the Canada Labour Code applies; provincial government employees in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. all workers in British Columbia, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon.

Provinces Where It is NOT a Provincial Statutory Holiday:

  • Ontario: Sept. 30 will not be a statutory holiday in Ontario. Like many other provinces, employers may agree to give staff the day off, especially if it is required by collective agreements.
  • Alberta: The Alberta government has not designated Sept. 30 a statutory holiday, leaving the decision on whether workers have the day off up to employers. However, the province does commemorate the day as a "direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action 80, which called for a day to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools."
  • Saskatchewan: Sept. 30 is not a statutory holiday in Saskatchewan, either. "The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 is a statutory holiday for employees in federally regulated workplaces. It is not a public holiday under The Saskatchewan Employment Act, therefore it is not a minimum requirement to provincially regulated employers and employees"
  • Quebec: Sept. 30 is not a provincial holiday in Québec.
  • Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia officially recognizes Sept. 30 as a holiday. "Provincial government offices, public schools, and regulated childcare will be closed on Truth and Reconciliation Day," reads a release from the province. However, Truth and Reconciliation Day is not one of the general (paid) holidays listed in the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code, notes the province.
  • New Brunswick: The provincial government has not designated Truth and Reconciliation Day a holiday, but city governments in Moncton and Fredericton have given municipal workers the day off.

What's Closed on Truth and Reconciliation Day 2025?

Federal Services (Nationwide):

  • Canada Post: Canada Post will not be picking up or delivering mail, and all post offices will be closed.
  • Banks: Bank branches are generally closed.
  • Federal Government Offices: Broadly speaking, federal government employees will get Tuesday off.

Provincial and Municipal Services (varies by location):

In provinces where it's a statutory holiday:

  • All provincial government office will be closed, including Access P.E.I. and public libraries. (PEI)
  • The city will close its client service centres, employment and social service offices, municipal child-care centres, Site program, dental clinics and sexual health centres Tuesday. (Ottawa)

Retail and Services:

  • LCBO (Ontario): LCBOs will open at noon.
  • Grocery Stores: Most grocery stores will be open and operating on regular hours.
  • Shopping Malls: Most malls, including Yorkdale Shopping Centre, will remain open on Tuesday.
  • Museums: The agriculture, aviation, history, science and war museums are open and offering free admission, as is the National Gallery of Canada, which opens at noon. The history and war museums are open two hours later until 7 p.m.

Orange Shirt Day: The Connection

Both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day take place on September 30. Orange Shirt Day is a commemorative day led by Indigenous communities to raise awareness about the intergenerational impacts of residential schools on children, families, and communities. It honours Indigenous children who were lost in the residential school system. The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced.

Historical Context: Residential Schools in Canada

There were 140 federally run residential schools in Canada that operated between 1867 and 1996. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established to document the effects of the residential school system, ran from 2008 to 2015, and concluded that the attempt to forcefully assimilate Indigenous communities was a cultural genocide.

How to Observe Truth and Reconciliation Day

Canadian Heritage has funded 340 events and gatherings across the country in 2025. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation offers a free virtual educational program from September 22-26, 2025, to all schools across Canada.

The event will be broadcast live from Parliament Hill, starting at 3 p.m. (ET) on the APTN channel and on several major television and radio networks.

Support Resources:

Former residential school students can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada. Indigenous peoples across Canada can also go to The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat (Please use Google Chrome).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is September 30, 2025 a stat holiday in Ontario?

No, Truth and Reconciliation Day is not a provincial statutory holiday in Ontario, though federal employees and those in federally regulated industries have the day off.

Do I get paid extra for working on Truth and Reconciliation Day?

Only if National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a statutory holiday in your province, or you work in a federally regulated sector. If that's the case and you're required to work, you may be entitled to stat pay — usually 1.5 times your normal wage — or a future day off in lieu.

Are schools closed on Truth and Reconciliation Day?

This depends on your province. In provinces where it's a statutory holiday (BC, PEI, Manitoba, NT, NU, YK), schools are typically closed. In other provinces, check with your local school board.

Looking Ahead

The call for proposals for community-based commemoration activities for 2026 will open in November 2025. For more information, visit the funding web page.

As we observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2025, it's essential to remember that reconciliation is not a single day but an ongoing journey. Whether you have the day off or not, take time to learn about Indigenous history, culture, and the lasting impacts of residential schools on Indigenous communities across Canada.