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 our reconciliation journey 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.
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 and mark the dates in your calendar!
Bones of Crows (124 minutes - English viewing) | September 9, 6 pm
Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - English viewing) | September 16, 6 pm
Bones of Crows (124 minutes - French viewing) | September 9, 4 pm
Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - French viewing) | September 16, 3:30 pm
Bones of Crows (124 minutes - English viewing) | September 22, 2:30 pm
Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - English viewing) | September 26, 1 pm
Bones of Crows (124 minutes - French viewing) | September 22, 5:30 pm
Rhymes for Young Ghouls (88 minutes - French viewing) | September 26, 3 pm
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.
The Kairos Blanket Exercice
Join the Kairos Blanket Exercice 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!
September 30: A Day to Reflect and Remember
Visit the seven open branches to explore a dedicated Learning and Action Space, where you can borrow books, resources, and materials designed to deepen your understanding and support your personal journey toward reconciliation. Open branches will offer the following programs:
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
Dickenson 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. View the list of films.
52 Ways to Reconcile by David A. Robertson offers practical recommendations on actions we can all take to advance reconciliation and turn learning into meaningful actions and lasting impact. 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.
Looking for a good read to learn more about this important day? 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.
Continue your reconciliation journey with our National Day for Truth and Reconciliation booklists, featuring books, music, and DVDs. Poursuivez votre parcours de réconciliation grâce à nos listes de lecture pour la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation, incluant des livres, de la musique et des DVD
