Province pledges $50K for Orange Shirt Day programming, free admission at Manitoba Museum

The Manitoba Museum (source: CTV News Winnipeg)

Winnipeg -

The Manitoba government is contributing $50,000 to the Manitoba Museum to create programming and offer free admission on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.

Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere made the announcement Tuesday.

“Orange Shirt Day at the museum offers all of us the opportunity to listen, learn and honour the resiliency of residential school survivors and their families,” Cox said in a news release.

Manitoba passed legislation in 2017 to recognize Sept. 30 as Orange Shirt, to encourage meaningful discussion about the trauma of residential schools. The provincial government also announced earlier this month it will recognize the new federal statutory Truth and Reconciliation Day.

According to the province, the Manitoba Museum will offer free admission from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 to build awareness for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It said a variety of programs and exhibits are planned to give education, awareness and interpretation to visitors about the history and effects of residential schools.

“Truth requires painful and often uncomfortable moments of awareness and reflection. While walking through the museum galleries, visitors will follow a path which will open their hearts and minds to a history which may challenge their previous understanding,” said Manitoba Museum CEO Dorota Blumczyńska.

“In partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and with the support of the Province of Manitoba, the Manitoba Museum invites Manitobans to answer the call for learning and reflection, to take this journey with us, to commit to action, and hopefully, to be changed, for a better future.“

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is partnering with the museum for the event, providing help with interpretation and experiences.

In addition to free admission, the museum will offer an exhibit developed with the former Portage la Prairie Residential School, three documentary screenings, and pre-recordings made with an NCTR interpreter. The museum will also be lit up in orange, the province said.

“Listening and acknowledging the truths of the tragic impacts that residential schools had on First Nations, Métis and Inuit children provides an opportunity for Manitobans to learn and develop a shared understanding of our past which is essential for advancing reconciliation,” said Lagimodiere.