Pictures above: Northern Store staff from Fort Liard, NT (left) and store members from Wabasca, AB wore orange.

Northern/NorthMart store staff joined thousands of people across Canada to honour residential schools survivors and victims on September 30.

Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis Webstad’s story of her first day at a residential school as a little girl, where her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her. Today, people wear orange as a way to come together in the spirit of truth and reconciliation, acknowledging the past and promoting a better future for generations to come.

This year, many store employees wore a custom Northern/NorthMart orange t-shirt to show their support on Orange Shirt Day. They also had the opportunity to listen to the testimony of a residential school survivor, which inspired meaningful discussions and open dialogue on all aspects of the residential school system and the legacy it left behind.

Pictures above: Muskehki Pharmacy staff (left) and store staff from Happy Valley, NL showed their support on Orange Shirt Day.

September 30 was chosen for Orange Shirt Day because September is the time of the year children were taken from their homes to attend residential schools. Starting this year, this date has also been designated as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.