Reconciliation is a journey that begins with learning, listening, and understanding. By sharing the truth from one generation to the next, we help build a path toward collective reconciliation.
Join us with your friends and family on September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and engage in meaningful activities, and conversations in seven (7) of OPL branches that are open from 10 am to 5 pm:
Beaverbrook, Cumberland, Greenboro, Main, Nepean Centrepointe, Ruth E. Dickinson, and St-Laurent.
Please note that all other OPL branches are closed on that day.
The Journey Starts Before September 30
Multiples programs and resources are offered across OPL branches throughout the month of September.
The Kairos Blanket Exercise
Join the Kairos Blanket Exercise for an interactive and educational experience allowing you to learn more about the ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous Peoples and some key events in Canadian history including pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization, and resistance. Three sessions will be offered in September. View the full schedule and register today!
Saturday, September 19 at 1 pm | Reconciliation Activity: KAIROS Blanket Exercise at St-Laurent Branch | English session
Friday, September 25 at 5:30 pm | Reconciliation Activity: KAIROS Blanket Exercise at Ruth E. Dickinson Branch | English session
Monday, October 5 at 5:30 pm | Reconciliation Activity: KAIROS Blanket Exercise at Cumberland branch | French session
Truth Film Series
Starting Wednesday, September 9, join films streaming sessions in English and French and learn more about the ongoing impact of the Canadian Indian Residential School System on Indigenous Peoples. Elders from the Host Nation will be present at Main branch, on September 9 at 6 pm for meaningful dialogue and reflection. View the full schedule for the Main branch and Emerald Plaza branch.
OPL’s Heart Garden
OPL’s Heart Gardens, created in collaboration with the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library, offer an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of the Canadian Indian Residential School System and honour the Indigenous children who never returned home, along with the survivors and their families. From September 21 to 30, drop by any OPL branch to take a heart home and plant the seeds in the spring in honor of the lives lost and the survivors.
September 30: A Day to Reflect and Remember
Visit one of the seven open branches to explore one of the following programs in the dedicated Learning and Action Space:
The Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada maps
Join staff from Canadian Geographic to explore the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada maps and understand the past, present, and future of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Cumberland branch: 10 am - 11:30 am | Beaverbrook branch: 11:30 am – 1 pm
Ruth E. Dickinson branch: 11:30 am – 1 pm | St. Laurent branch: 12:30 pm – 2 pm
Greenboro branch: 2 pm - 3:30 pm | Nepean branch: 2 pm - 3:30 pm | Main branch: 3 pm - 4:30 pm
Movies and documentaries from the National Film Board of Canada
Learn and experience the painful legacy of the Canadian Indian Residential School System through featured Indigenous stories that will be streamed in loop from 10 am until 4:30 pm.
While visiting the open branches on September 30, stop by the 52 Ways to Reconcile poster to reflect on some key actions you can embrace in your daily life and take home a bookmark to continue the conversations with your friends and family. You can also borrow the book to deepen your learning and take meaningful actions in your Reconciliation journey.
Additional Resources
Feed your curiosity with this curated booklist about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation or simply visit your home branch to borrow books, magazines, movies or search through our Indigenous online resources.
Together, we can learn, reflect, and take meaningful steps toward reconciliation.