Squamish-Lillooet Regional District acknowledges National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Pemberton, BC – The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Tuesday, September 30 by affirming its commitment as a Regional District of Reconciliation and encouraging residents to learn, reflect and participate in community events where available.

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day. The day honours the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. The orange shirt is worn as a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations. Recognition and public commemoration of this history and its ongoing impacts are a vital part of reconciliation.

“We recognize and honour survivors, families and communities, and we commit to listening, learning and working respectfully with the Nations whose unceded territory the SLRD operates on,” said SLRD Board Chair Jen Ford. “In 2016, the SLRD committed to being a ‘Regional District of Reconciliation’ and ‘Truth, Reconciliation & Relationships’ is one of six Strategic Priorities in our 2024-2026 Strategic Plan. These are not just words; it is about action and awareness in the way we work, and it is about relationships.”

In the lead-up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the SLRD and the Village of Pemberton invite residents to an evening of reflection and learning at the Pemberton & District Community Centre. On Saturday, September 27, there will be a special screening of “Sugarcane,” an award-winning documentary about residential schools and the resilience of Indigenous Peoples, followed by a Q&A with Ed Noisecat, artist, survivor of the Canadian residential school system and subject of the film. For more information and to RSVP for this event, please visit our Facebook page.

Lillooet Tribal Council is collaborating with Lillooet Learning Communities Society, the Community HUB Team and St'at'imc community partners to organize a gathering focused on truth-telling on National Truth and Reconciliation Day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The gathering is called ‘Wenácw Sqwal̓’útkalh’ or 'We Speak the Truth,’ and will take place at T’it’q’et P’egp’ig’lha Community Centre in Lillooet. The day will include drumming and smudging, a community march, guest speaker Karen Goodfellow on Trauma-Informed Approaches, open time to hear community members speak their truths and share stories, and a dinner at 5 p.m. All community members and leaders are invited to attend and participate; there will be counsellors and spiritual workers on site for support. View the event poster here.

The Squamish Nation (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Commemoration will honour their children and survivors and walk together from Winnipeg Street and Cleveland Avenue to O’Siyam Pavilion in Squamish starting at 12:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to celebrate the resilience of Indigenous Peoples and the reclamation of ancestral teachings. View the event poster here. 

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler is hosting meaningful Indigenous-led programming for the entire month of September. Details for their events and a full day of immersive experiences on Tuesday, September 30, and can be found on their website at www.slcc.ca/september.

For residents unable to attend an in-person event in the region, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and APTN invite Canadians to take part in the National Commemorative Gathering: Remembering the Children – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The 90-minute commemorative event will feature survivors and Indigenous artists. The event will be broadcast live from Parliament Hill, starting at noon (P.T.) on the APTN channel and on several major television and radio networks.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is also offering a free virtual educational program from September 22 to 26, 2025, to all schools across Canada and to the broader community, engaging with the history and enduring spirit of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. Programming is available in English, French and ASL. Registration is required.

While the SLRD marks September 30 as a day of remembrance, the organization acknowledges truth and reconciliation as an ongoing practice and a steadfast commitment to truth-telling, justice and change that must take place every day.

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About the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
Located in southwestern BC, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is a local government federation consisting of four member municipalities (the District of Lillooet, the District of Squamish, the Village of Pemberton and the Resort Municipality of Whistler) and four unincorporated, rural electoral areas (A, B, C, and D). Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of local, regional and sub-regional services to approximately 50,496 residents (2021 Census as certified by the Minister of Municipal Affairs).

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is found within the traditional territories of several First Nations, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), St'át'imc and Líl̓wat. Small parts of the SLRD also overlap with the traditional territories of the Stó:lō, Tsleil-Waututh, Nlaka'pamux, Tsilhqot'in, and Secwepemc Nations. While the SLRD does not provide direct services to the residents of the First Nations communities located within the region, the organization is committed to enhancing relations with the Indigenous communities and First Nations within whose territories the SLRD operates.