Tuesday, September 30, 2025 | 1:00 PM | Trans Canada Trail, Rockwood Park | Event is Rain or Shine

The City of Saint John, in collaboration with Double Curve Media and Indigenous community leaders, invites all residents to participate in an Indigenous-led Healing Walk in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This annual day of remembrance, observed on September 30, honours the children who were taken from their families and forced to attend residential schools, institutions designed to erase Indigenous identity, language, and culture. The legacy of these schools continues to reverberate across generations.

The Healing Walk is a powerful act of reflection and solidarity. It began on July 1, 2021, when Indigenous community members in Saint John organized the first walk through Rockwood Park. At each provincial marker along the Trans Canada Trail, speakers shared sobering truths about the residential school system. That day, over 1,500 residents joined the march, wearing orange shirts to honour the children who never came home.

The original walk was led by the now-retired Indigenous organizations Eastern Circle and Heart of Saint John, whose leaders called the event a step toward healing and a call to action. They urged governments to fully implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, including the urgent work of the Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Project, which has confirmed over 3,200 deaths of named and unnamed residential school students. Due to incomplete records, the true number is believed to be much higher, with recent estimates nearing 17,000.

This year’s walk continues that legacy. It is a reminder that reconciliation is not a single moment, but a shared journey, one that requires listening, learning, and standing together.

Event Details:

• Free and open to all
• Wear orange to show your support
• Bring a hand drum if you have one
• Walk begins at 1:00 PM at the Trans Canada Trail in Rockwood Park
• Event is Rain or Shine

Let us walk together — in remembrance, in resilience, and in hope. Every step forward is a step toward healing.

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Here to help – For inquiries related to municipal services, contact the City of Saint John Customer Service Centre at (506) 658-4455, email service@saintjohn.ca or visit us in person on the Ground Floor of City Hall, 15 Market Square, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays), 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Source City of Saint John