There will be plenty of events taking place on the mid-Island on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Photo from 2021 at Nanaimo's Maffeo Sutton Park. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

orange shirt day

Local events to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Sep 29, 2026 | 3:42 PM

NANAIMO — Wednesday, Sep. 30 is the sixth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, with events taking place across the mid-Island to commemorate the occasion.

In Nanaimo, Deverill Square Park at 200 Irwin St. will host a free community event from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting with a traditional blessing by Snuneymuxw First Nation Elder Lolly Good, along with new artwork being unveiled by artist Noel Brown.

After the ceremony, the field will host several inflatables, along with sports and games for all ages, with interactive community stations being hosted by VIU Hockey, Caged Athletics, and Nanaimo Science, with food trucks also on site.

Free swimming will be available at Beban Pool, along with free weight room access, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., with limits on capacity.

Free family skating will also be available at Frank Crane Arena from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., with a brief pause at 12:45 p.m.

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Full details of events taking place in Nanaimo on Sept. 30 are available on their website.

Signs and orange dresses were displayed along Commercial St. in downtown Nanaimo in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

In Oceanside, a community gathering and walk is planned starting at 10 a.m. at ts’xwelikwshenawtxw at 124 West 2nd Ave. in Qualicum Beach, for “coffee, tea, conversation and reflection,” according to their poster, before making their way to the Qualicum Beach Museum where they’ll hear from local First Nation elders and dignitaries.

More details on the Qualicum event can be found here.

On Gabriola Island, residents can take in a community commemoration event starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Gabriola Museum Timberframe at 505 South Rd., with more details available here.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, commonly referred to as Orange Shirt Day, has drawn increased attention to the harms Canada’s residential school system had on Indigenous children, families and communities.

There were 140 federally run residential schools in Canada between 1867 and 1996.

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by Jordan Davidson

Local events to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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