Gender Equality Coalition of Ontario Calls on Provincial Government to Make September 30th a Provincial Holiday and Commit to Searching All Residential School Sites

London, ON – September 30, 2025 – The Gender Equality Coalition of Ontario (GECO) is calling on the Government of Ontario to declare September 30th, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a provincial statutory holiday. This important day provides a necessary opportunity for reflection, education, and meaningful action toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

While the federal government has recognized September 30th as a statutory holiday for federally regulated employees, Ontario has yet to extend the same recognition to its own workforce and communities. By failing to act, Ontario denies thousands of workers and families the chance to fully participate in remembrance and reconciliation activities.

Ontario’s Ongoing Responsibility

Ontario’s history includes the devastating legacy of residential schools, where Indigenous children were taken from their families and communities, many never to return home. The discoveries of unmarked graves at residential school sites across the country have deepened this wound and laid bare Canada’s shameful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

Yet, to this day, many residential school sites in Ontario have not been thoroughly searched. Survivors, families, and communities deserve the truth. The provincial government must act with urgency to ensure that every former residential school site in Ontario is thoroughly investigated with the guidance of Indigenous leadership.

But reconciliation is not only about addressing the past. It is about confronting present-day injustices. For more than 30 years, Neskantaga First Nation has lived under a boil water advisory, a daily reminder of systemic neglect and inequality. This ongoing crisis exemplifies the urgent need for reconciliation to be more than symbolic. It must be action-oriented.

A Small but Necessary Step

Declaring September 30th a provincial statutory holiday is one small but necessary step Ontario can take to show respect, honour survivors, and commit to building a more just future. Alongside this, Ontario must commit to fully funding and supporting the search of all former residential school sites, led by Indigenous communities, so that families can find answers and children can finally be honoured.

“Reconciliation is not optional; it is a responsibility we all share,” said " Dani Bartlett GECO Co ED. “Ontario must step forward and acknowledge the truth of our shared history. Creating this statutory holiday and committing to search every residential school site are tangible, immediate actions that demonstrate respect for survivors, Indigenous families, and future generations.”

Call to Action

GECO urges the Ontario government to:

• Officially recognize September 30th as a statutory holiday across the province.

• Fully fund and support the search of all former residential school sites in Ontario, led by Indigenous communities.

• Commit resources to education, reconciliation programs, and community-based events on this day.

• Address ongoing systemic injustices—including long-term boil water advisories, access to reliable wifi and other inequities in housing, health, and education that continue to harm Indigenous communities.

Reconciliation requires courage, accountability, and sustained action. Ontario must not delay.

Media Contact:
Dani Bartlett
CO-Executive Director, Gender Equality Coalition of Ontario

519-281-4921  genderequalitycoalition@gmail.com | https://www.thegenderequalitycoalitionofontario.org/