The Orange Shirt Society congratulates their 2025 Every Child Matters T-shirt contest winner, Sloane Cameron!
Sloane is a Grade 6 student from Innisfail, Alberta. Her design showcases a tree, a heart, and children. The tree represents nature and the heart to symbolize that every child matters and is equally important. The children in the design are holding feathers as an Indigenous representation; however, she drew them without faces so that they have no expression and can represent any child.
September 30, and the preceding Sunday are important times for renewing our collective commitment to truth-telling and steps towards reconcili-action. Below are some resources to support your important work.
Please read and share the summary from the national Indigenous church to help your community of faith plan for these important days in our truth-telling and listening journey through the year.
Sunday September 28
On September 28, mark Orange Shirt Sunday in your community of faith. This year in particular we ask you to honour the children with a gift or special offering to the Healing Fund, which supports initiatives for survivors of the residential school system and its ongoing intergenerational impacts.
Tuesday September 30, National Truth and Reconciliation Day
On September 30, wear an orange shirt to say that Every Child Matters. You can see the 2025 winning design here! Please note that there are a wide range of orange shirt designs and originators; some are community-based, and some are for-profit and not related to community groups. Always buy the official shirt, or buy from local designers and groups. Be cautious of social media ads for shirts.
Some immediate opportunities to help your work include the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s excellent and free Lunch and Learns Sept 22-26- please see all topics and details here. Also available is a new board game, The Truth in Truth and Reconciliation, that you could offer as part of a public evening or after school program.
Inspiration for your community of faith
Finally, here are just a few examples of community of faith work; if you have a write-up, a video, or an event to share, please email Julie at jgraham@united-church.ca so we can share it!
As we mark the tenth anniversary of the TRC Calls to Action, Knox United in Brandon offers this comprehensive report of their work in 2025.
In Sioux Lookout, Jamie Miller reports that for the second year running, the church is hosting a public viewing of the TRC Lunch and Learns mentioned above, followed by a conversation with local organizations.
In Winnipeg, churches were part of the annual We Are All Treaty People Celebration at the Forks; thank you to all who volunteered!
