Orange Shirt Day is on September 30th because this date marks the time of year when Indigenous children were historically taken from their homes to residential schools. The day was chosen to recognize and honour the experiences of residential school survivors, including those who never returned home, and to acknowledge the lasting impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous communities. The orange shirt symbolizes this history, inspired by Phyllis Jack Webstad, a residential school survivor who had a new orange shirt taken from her on her first day at a residential school. The color orange has since become a symbol of solidarity and recognition of the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children and their communities. Orange Shirt Day was started in 2013 in Williams Lake, British Columbia, as a way to commemorate all residential school survivors and promote awareness and reconciliation. It is also recognized as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, making September 30th a day of national remembrance and education about this dark chapter in Canadian history, emphasizing that "Every Child Matters".