On September 30, 2026, the Town will welcome Chief van Oirschot of Caldwell First Nation for a flag raising in observance of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. During opening remarks, Mayor Rogers will present a tobacco offering to Chief van Oirschot, a custom used by Aboriginal people for centuries in exchange for their presence.  The annual Orange Shirt Walk will follow the ceremony. 

Residents are encouraged to wear orange and join us at the front of the Kingsville Arena beginning at 12:00 pm. The walk will follow the ceremony and proceed north on Jasperson Lane, west on Road 2, south on Jasperson Drive, and finish at Erie Migration District School.  

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation commemorates the survivors and victims of residential schools, their families, and communities. The first observance of a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was held on September 30, 2021, following the identification of unmarked burials at former Indian Residential School sites. 

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots initiative that raises awareness of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools on individuals, families, and communities while promoting the message that Every Child Matters. 

Residents can get more information at kingsville.ca/NDTR.