Remembrance & Healing, Every Child Matters

September 24 – October 8
Hessel School House
Tuesday–Friday: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM | Saturday: 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
Free Admission | All Ages Welcome

The Hessel School House is honored to host “Remembrance & Healing, Every Child Matters,” an eight-panel informational display focused on awareness of the boarding and residential school experience and its lasting impacts on Indigenous children, families, and communities.

This self-guided display provides an opportunity to learn about the history and legacy of Indian residential and boarding school systems, while creating space to commemorate the children who experienced these schools, witness and honor the healing journeys of Survivors and their families, and reflect on our shared responsibility toward truth and reconciliation.

The display is appropriate for all ages and invites visitors to take their time, learn, reflect, and engage in meaningful conversation. By bringing this display to the Hessel School House, we hope to create opportunities for discussion about the effects and legacy of these schools—conversations that can help us listen to one another, build understanding, and create bridges within our communities.

Orange Shirt Day — September 30

We also encourage everyone to participate in Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters on September 30.

September 30 was chosen because it falls at the time of year when Indigenous children were historically taken from their homes and families and sent to residential schools. Orange Shirt Day provides an opportunity for the community to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. It’s a symbol that honors residential school Survivors, remembers the children who never returned home, and acknowledges the generational impacts of the Indian residential and boarding school systems in Canada and the United States

How to participate: Wear Orange.
On September 30, wear an orange shirt, top, or accessory as a visible expression of remembrance and your commitment to truth and reconciliation.

Why This Matters

“Every Child Matters” honors residential school survivors, remembers the children who never returned home, and acknowledges the generational impacts of the Indian residential and boarding school systems in Canada and the United States.

We invite our community to visit the display, learn together, ask questions, listen, and reflect. This is an opportunity to create meaningful dialogue, deepen understanding, and continue building bridges through truth, reconciliation, remembrance, and hope.

Free to attend. All are welcome.