8 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2026
BEYOND SEPTEMBER 30
HOW ROSSBROOK HOUSE IS BUILDING RECONCILIATION THROUGH YOUTH EXTERIOR OF ROSSBROOK HOUSE AT 658 ROSS AVENUE.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
F or many Canadians, Septem- ber 30 is a day to wear orange, attend a walk or take a moment to learn about the history of residential schools, but for Indig- enous communities, truth and reconciliation doesn’t begin and end with a single day on the calendar. ”No child who does not want to be alone should ever have to be.” That is the mission of Rossbrook House, a neighbourhood drop-in centre for youth. The centre, which has been running 365 days a year for the past 50 years, incorporates Indigenous culture and teachings into its everyday programming through drumming, art, land-based activities, and opportunities for youth to learn from Elders and Knowledge Keepers. BY GEORGIA WIEBE
Mitchell Boulette, Indigenous way of life coordinator at Rossbrook House, says these activities give youth a chance to connect with their culture while also creating a safe and accepting environment. “It’s an important space because we have a lot of youth dealing with different challenges, and Rossbrook House gives them a place where they can feel safe, have a meal, partici- pate in activities and go on outings,” Boulette says. For Boulette, creating opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to learn from one another is an important part of reconciliation. “Building healthy relationships with one another is also meaningful,” Boulette says. Those relationships are especially important when teaching young people
ROSSBROOK HOUSE 2026 ORANGE SHIRT DESIGN BY 18-YEAR-OLD BREANNA MINK. THE DESIGN IS BASED ON HER FAMILY’S EXPERIENCES AT ROSSBROOK HOUSE AND SHOWS THE DIFFERENT AGES OF PEOPLE WHO ATTEND ROSSBROOK HOUSE.
commemorating national day for truth and reconciliation
about the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools. Rossbrook House provides age-appropriate opportunities for youth to learn about what happened to Indigenous children and families, including understanding why we wear orange shirts on September 30. “I think that [National Day for Truth and Reconciliation] it’s not just about the past,” Boulette says. “Residential schools happened in the past, but their impacts still continue today.” Boulette says that reconciliation involves learning about Indigenous history, but peo- ple need to move beyond awareness and take action as well. That means listening to Indigenous people and communities, sup- porting Indigenous businesses and organi- zations and ensuring Indigenous voices are included in discussions. Rossbrook House will be participating in the Southern Chiefs’ Organization sixth annual Orange Shirt Day healing walk and pow wow on September 30 in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Staff and participants from the centre will
also wear orange shirts designed by youth, Breanna Mink, on the walk. The design, which shows four youths, represents the growth Mink and her family have experienced while attending Rossbrook House. The shirts also give young people another way to take part in the day, express themselves, and share their art with the community. For Boulette, creating opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to learn throughout the year, build relation- ships, and understand the past is a way we can help prevent harmful attitudes from car- rying into the future. The National Day for Truth and Recon- ciliation is about more than recognizing September 30. It’s about acknowledging the painful history of the past, understanding how its effects continue today and taking meaningful steps towards change. For Boulette and Rossbrook House, that work can begin with young people and the rela- tionships they build with one another, not just on September 30, but throughout the whole year. ▲
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