Canada marks 4th annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The day is a time to remember Indigenous children who died at residential schools, the survivors, their families and communities.

Canada marks the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Oct 1.

The day is a time to remember Indigenous children who died at residential schools, the survivors, their families and communities. Also known as Orange Shirt Day, it takes place Sept. 30 each year and is a federal statutory holiday.

More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded residential schools between the 1870s and 1997. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation estimated that more than 4,100 children died while attending the schools.

Events are being held across the country to mark the day, including a 90-minute ceremony in Ottawa. The Peace Tower and Senate building will be illuminated in orange throughout the evening.