(Winnipeg, MB: September 29, 2021) To honour the new National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, the Manitoba Museum will provide complimentary admission to the Museum Galleries from Thursday, September 30 to Sunday October 3.

Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum will offer visitors special, all-day programming focused on the history and the impacts of Indian Residential Schools, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action. 

“In partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and with the support of the Province of Manitoba, we invite Manitobans to answer the call for learning and reflection, to take this journey with us, to commit to action, and hopefully, to be changed, for a better future,” says Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO, Manitoba Museum.

“Truth requires painful and often uncomfortable moments of awareness and reflection. While walking through the Museum, visitors will follow a path that will open their hearts and minds to a history that may challenge their previous understanding of Indian Residential Schools,” adds Blumczyńska.

Throughout the Museum, visitors will find many exhibits related to the history of Indian Residential Schools and the TRC Calls to Action. They will also have access to more digital content using QR Codes, content which will deepen their knowledge. The Winnipeg Gallery Theatre will show the short film, The Legacy of the Residential School System, produced by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and Parks Canada. Several other videos will be playing throughout the Museum.

Special programming also includes a pop-up exhibit and videos from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Everyone will have the opportunity to stop at the Manitoba Cares station to share their thoughts on what they’ve learned and to commit to taking action, individually and as a community, towards reconciliation.

The exterior of the Museum will be flooded with orange lights from September 30 to October 3, with orange ribbons tied to its Rupert Avenue railings.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, capacity is limited. Visitors must get their timed tickets online before coming to the Museum for Orange Shirt Days.

The Schoolhouse exhibit in the Prairies Gallery offers opportunity to learn about the Residential Schools in Manitoba. Image: © Manitoba Museum/Ian McCausland.

The Museum thanks the Province of Manitoba for their generous support.

The Museum also thanks our program partners the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation, Treaty Relations Commission, Portage la Prairie Residential School Museum, Parks Canada, the Mackay Residential School Survivors Group, and all the community members who supported Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum.