A day to remember, a community to walk alongside

There are days that ask us to pause, to remember, and to carry forward what has been learned. On Wednesday, September 30, Sault Ste. Marie will join communities across Canada in observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—a day established in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which called for a statutory holiday to recognize survivors and the legacy of the residential school system .

The day carries a weight that is both national and deeply local. In Sault Ste. Marie, the history of residential schools is not abstract. The Shingwauk Indian Residential School and the Wawanosh Home for girls operated in the community, and their legacies remain present in the landscape and in the lives of survivors and their families.

Several events will mark the day. At Snowdon Park, the public is invited to the Every Child Matters Sacred Memorial, established in 2023 to honor the lives of four boys who drowned in a pond behind the former Shingwauk school site: Peter Beauvais (1929), Gerald Crossman (1960), and two unknown boys in 1914 . The memorial features three benches, three trees with commemorative plaques, and a large rock sharing the history of the place. The morning event will begin at 9 a.m. with an opening prayer, followed by drumming, remarks, and a moment of reflection .

In the afternoon, the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre will host a series of panel discussions on Truth and Reconciliation, featuring representatives from the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, Sault Area Hospital, Algoma University, and other organizations . The event runs from noon to 3:30 p.m., with opportunities for connection and conversation following the formal program .

In the evening, the fourth annual Candlelight Vigil will be held at the Wawanosh Memorial, located outside Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25. The Wawanosh Home, started in 1879 by Rev. E. F. Wilson, was one of Canada's first residential schools for Indigenous girls . The vigil begins at 7 p.m. with drumming, remarks from First Nations leaders, and a time of remembrance .

Earlier in the day, the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River First Nation will reaffirm their Friendship Accord at the annual Wampum Belt Ceremony, held at the Anishinabek Police Service Headquarters. Staff and leadership from both communities, along with representatives from the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service and Anishinabek Police Services, are expected to attend.

These events are not merely commemorations. They are invitations—to learn, to reflect, and to consider what reconciliation asks of each of us. The day is also a statutory holiday for many institutions, with municipal facilities and social service offices closed in observance .

For those who attend, the day offers something rare: a structured space to sit with difficult history, to honor those who did not return home, and to stand alongside survivors and their families. It is, at its heart, an act of collective remembrance—and a step, however small, toward what comes next.

Image disclaimer: The illustrations in this article are AI-generated and do not depict actual events or locations.

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Sources: SooToday.com, City of Sault Ste. Marie, Social Services Sault Ste. Marie, CTV News