By Dawar Naeem

Dawar is a Volunteer Community Journalist with the Focus Media Arts Centre

Instead of regular Canada Day celebrations, thousands of Torontonians gathered in downtown Toronto to join the Every Child Matters Walk to honour Indigenous children who died in the residential school systems across Canada and show support, respect and solidarity for residential school survivors and Indigenous people.

More than 150,000 First Nations children were taken from their families involuntary and forced into the church- and government-run residential schools in a bid to 'educate' them. The schools ran from the 19th century well into the 20th. The children often were mistreated and lost their languages and culture. Many of them never returned to their families and communities.

The March began and was organized by the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, located at Dundas and Parliament in Regent Park. Many of the participants were dressed in orange t-shirts.  The orange t-shirt represents the story of Phyllis Webstad. When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she went to the residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a bright orange shirt that her Grand mother had bought for her, but when she got to the school, it was taken away from her and never returned.

In Honour of the residential school victims, Torontonians dressed in orange t-shirts, marched with signs and banners and in support of the survivors  they walked along Dundas through downtown Toronto, stopping at Dundas Square (across from the Eaton’s Centre) and finally ending up at the future site of the 'Spirit Garden' at Nathan Philips Square where a rally was held. The Spirt Garden is being created at Toronto's City Hall to honour the residential school survivors and provide Indigenous residents with a calm, safe area to heal from the trauma of the residential school system and colonization. The project began in 2018 and is expected to be completed in late 2023. The garden will feature a two-metre tall turtle sculpture to represent Turtle Island.

At the march, chants of “Every Child Matters” could be heard everywhere. At the Square, Indigenous singers and dancers performed their rituals and ceremonies in front of the thousands in attendance. Some folks from the indigenous community shared stories of the survivors and explained the importance of the day.