Here's why a block of Toronto buildings is covered in orange shirts

A group of Toronto buildings near Bathurst and St. Clair are covered in orange shirts right now in observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — also known as Orange Shirt Day.

The buildings along Vaughan Road, home to a cluster of housing and health services for Indigenous men, have been catching the eyes of passersby throughout the month ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

First observed in 2013, the day was established to increase awareness of the horrors of Canada’s residential school system that tore Indigenous communities apart for generations, and the lingering effects on native populations decades after the system's abolition.

The dozens of orange shirts lining a group of buildings along Vaughan Rd south of St. Clair are just one of the ways local groups are raising awareness this year.

Among the buildings currently sporting orange, the Na-Me-Res Men's Residence at 14 Vaughan Rd. has been given some colourful accents to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

Just to the south, more orange shirts adorn the Auduzhe Mino Nesewinong (Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team) at 22 Vaughan Rd.

The nearby Na-Me-Res Sagatay transitional housing building at 26 Vaughan Rd. continues this block-long theme, bringing a thought-provoking shot of colour to this stretch in honour of this day of remembrance. 

The shirts' colourful contrast against the structures is drawing attention from passersby, turning this block into a creative way to urge people to stop and absorb the installation, and all it represents.

Na-Me-Res, a non-profit organization, accepts public donations via its website.