Reflections and Actions: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

ORANGEVILLE, ON (September 30, 2025) September 30 is Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day in which we pause to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and the profound harm they caused to Indigenous children, families, and communities. We honour the Survivors and remember the children who never returned home.

Reconciliation is not a single act, it is a continuous journey that calls for listening, learning, and meaningful action. In health care, this means committing to culturally safe, trauma-informed care and actively working to dismantle systemic barriers that Indigenous Peoples continue to face.

At Headwaters Health Care Centre, we are dedicated to walking this path in partnership with First Nations and Indigenous communities. We continue to learn from local organizations such as The Brave Canoe, our Patient and Family Advisory Partners, Dufferin County, and the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team. These relationships guide our efforts to create a more inclusive and culturally responsive health care environment.

Our Strategic Plan and People Strategy are rooted in equity, diversity, and inclusion. Over the past few years, we’ve introduced leadership training in equity and inclusion, redeveloped our multi-faith space, and launched e-learning modules on the importance of diversity for all staff, physicians, and volunteers. More diversity, equity, and inclusion training is planned for the coming year.

We encourage each of us to take time on the 30th to reflect, wear orange in solidarity, and engage with the stories and truths that have long been silenced. Whether through education, conversation, or quiet contemplation, your actions matter.

Let us move forward together, with humility, respect, and a shared commitment to equity, healing, and reconciliation.

Media contact:

Stephanie Mackenzie-Smith, MPA | Director, Communications & Community Relations 519-941-2410 ext. 2551 | mediarelations@headwatershealth.ca