Edmonton will mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday with public displays, orange lighting and events honouring people who died in residential schools and recognizing the effects of residential schools and colonization. The annual observance is also known as Orange Shirt Day, when people across Canada reflect on the legacy of the schools.

The city will raise Every Child Matters banners in Churchill Square and lower flags to half-mast in City Hall Plaza. The Survivors’ Flag will be displayed in City Hall beside a collection of Indigenous and Métis artifacts. Orange lighting is planned at City Hall, Edmonton Tower, High Level Bridge, Muttart Conservatory, Rossdale Power Plant and Walterdale Bridge.

Orange ribbons will be tied to city buses and waste collection vehicles. At the Indigenous Art Park, 10204 Queen Elizabeth Park Rd., the decorative crosswalk will be repainted with artwork by Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal. City attractions will provide free admission to people who self-declare as Indigenous.

The holiday is observed by federal workers and will affect some municipal services. The Edmonton Service Centre and 311 will be closed Wednesday, as will city eco stations and the Reuse Centre. The Edmonton Waste Management Centre will operate on holiday hours.

Edmonton Transit Service buses will run regular weekday service, but all school specials are cancelled. Recreation centres will use holiday hours; Central Lions and Northgate Senior Centres will be closed. The Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton Valley Zoo, Fort Edmonton Park, Muttart Conservatory, Royal Alberta Museum and Alberta Aviation Museum are scheduled to open.

Audreys Books, at 10702 Jasper Ave., will host a gathering organized by the Edmonton Short Film Festival from 3:45 to 6 p.m. Local Indigenous filmmakers and authors will share their work and experiences, and Elder Dan Cardinal will take part. Further information is available online.

At the Art Gallery of Alberta, 2 Sir Winston Churchill Square, TD Curator of Indigenous Creativity Alaynee Goodwill-Littlechild will lead a tour of the exhibition “What Shapes Us” from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. A conversation with Goodwill-Littlechild and Sara McKarney will follow, reflecting on relationships with the land and what it means to be better stewards of it. More details are available online.

The Rubaboo Indigenous Arts Festival begins at 5 p.m. at Beaver Hills House Park, 10440 Jasper Ave. Its opening will bring music, art and community activities to the park. The festival continues through Oct. 11, with more information available online.

Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, at 11648 85 St., will hold its annual observance from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program includes speakers, entertainment, crafts and breakout storytelling sessions. Organizers have posted further information online.

Edmonton Public Library locations will be closed Wednesday, although some branches are holding events during the week. Planned activities include beadwork, Cree language classes, storytime and visits with an Elder in Residence. Details about individual events are available online.

Fort Edmonton Park, at 7000 143 St., will hold an opening ceremony Wednesday for its First Indigenous Peoples Experience exhibit. From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the program will include drum performances, traditional dancers, guest speakers and interactive cultural sessions. More information is available online.

Classes at MacEwan University’s City Centre Campus, 10700 104 Ave., will be cancelled Wednesday, while campus buildings remain open for community reflection. The kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre will offer cultural grounding tools, public educational resources, opportunities to engage with knowledge keepers and spaces for traditional medicine smudging in the campus Gathering Room. Further details are available online.

The Métis Cultural Community Center, at 11724 95 St., will screen Lorna Dancey’s film “The Forgotten People” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, along with a short film from the Youville project. The event will include survivor testimony and a viewing of Louis Lavoie’s mural depicting children lost to residential schools. Popcorn and refreshments will be offered.

The Royal Alberta Museum, at 9810 103A Ave., will screen “WaaPaKe (Tomorrow),” a documentary by Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday. Further information is available online.

In St. Albert, Mission Park, at 29 Mission Ave., will host an observance from noon to 4 p.m. Speakers and knowledge keepers will join performers, artisans, exhibits and food vendors. Participants can also take part in an Honour Walk from Mission Park to Kâkesimokamik, or The Healing Garden. More event information is available online.

The Edmonton Journal also listed related coverage about a First Nations chief threatening legal action against the province if tailings water is released, and Saddle Lake Cree Nation asserting treaty rights over access to gender-affirming care. The newspaper invited readers to bookmark EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com and sign up for newsletters. It also promoted digital subscriptions offering unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites.

Based on reporting by Edmonton Journal.