Honour and pay tribute to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples with this Official First Day Cover.

About the issue

Canada Post is committed to listening to Indigenous voices and to using these stamps as a way for Survivors to share the truth of their experiences so that we can support the process of reconciliation and, ultimately, healing, as we move forward.

Canada Post thanks the Survivors Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation for their guidance throughout this process.

The Survivors Circle stressed that it is necessary to address the truth before we can collectively work toward reconciliation. As such, this year’s stamps focus on archival images of the school as part of our collective efforts to come to terms with the full history of residential schools and their ongoing impact on Indigenous Peoples today.

Canada Post calls on Canadians to acknowledge and reflect on the injustices that have been levelled on generations of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. -

Canada Post is committed to building relationships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to support the reconciliation process.

This stamp issue calls attention to the trauma created by the residential school system and the need for healing and reconciliation.

The cancel location for this issue is Ottawa, Ontario, and features the Survivors’ Flag, which honours Survivors and all those affected by the residential school system. Each element depicted on the flag was developed through consultation and collaboration with Survivors from across Canada. The flag was unveiled on the first official National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2021.

About residential schools in Canada

Between the 1830s and 1990s, more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children across Canada were taken from their families and sent to federally created residential schools. Children were stripped of their languages, cultures and spiritual traditions and forced to assimilate into white society at the church-run schools. They endured unsafe conditions, disease, and physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Thousands never made it home while many Survivors continue to experience trauma from their time at the institutions, which has been passed down to successive generations.

About residential schools

Stamp issue Residential School feature

Kamloops Residential School, Kamloops, BC
Opened: 1890
Closed: 1978
Denomination: Roman Catholic

The Kamloops Industrial School became one of the largest schools in the Indian Affairs residential school system.

In 2021, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced the discovery of 200 potential burials at the former Kamloops Residential School site, changing the national conversation about the history and impact of residential schools in Canada.

Île-à-la-Crosse Residential School, Île-à-la-Crosse, SK
Opened: 1821
Closed: 1976
Denomination: Roman Catholic

Residential schools for boys and girls were operated in the historically Métis community of Île-à-la-Crosse from 1821 to 1976. A day school began in 1847, evolving into a residential school after 1860.

Sept-Îles Residential School, Sept-Îles, QC
Opened: 1952
Closed: 1971
Denomination: Roman Catholic

Also known as Maliotenam, the Sept-Îles Residential School was the first such institution established in Quebec in the post-war period. Instruction at the school was in French and starting in 1961, it also served as a residence for students attending high school in Sept-Îles.

Grollier Hall, Inuvik, NT
Opened: 1959
Closed: 1997
Denomination: Roman Catholic

Grollier Hall was opened in the newly established community of Inuvik as part of a federal plan to establish hostels in northern communities. It was selected for the stamp issue to represent Inuit and Northern First Nations experiences at residential schools. The inclusion of the residence extends the scope of this series to include the experiences of Survivors who attended day schools, which often go unrecognized.

Official First Day Cover Residential School feature

Mohawk Institute, Brantford, ON
Opened: 1828
Closed: 1970
Denomination: Anglican

The first school in Canada’s residential school system was intended to serve as a model for other industrial schools. It initially opened in 1828 as the Mechanics' Institute day school, gradually evolving to admit boarders starting in 1831.

Initially, the school exclusively accommodated boys, but in 1834, it extended its admission to include girls as boarders as well. The school remained operational for many years, finally being closed by the federal government in 1970, although some students continued to reside there until 1971.

The Woodlands Cultural Centre now operates within the premises of the former school, preserving its historical significance.

About the design

Cover design

This second issue in the Truth and Reconciliation stamp series was created in collaboration with the Survivors Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, Canada Post’s goal in this series is to amplify the voices and experiences of Survivors as they share the truth.

Throughout Canada’s history, at least 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were taken from their families and sent to residential schools, driven by legislation and policies of assimilation that were acts of genocide. At these institutions, children were forcibly stripped of their languages, cultures and spiritual traditions and were subjected to malnutrition and disease, as well as psychological, physical, spiritual, sexual and emotional abuse. Thousands of children never returned home.

Stamp designs

Each stamp features an archival photograph of a residential school or school residence in a different province or territory: Kamloops Residential School, Kamloops (BC); Île-à-la-Crosse Residential School, Île-à-la-Crosse (SK); Sept-Îles Residential School, Sept-Îles (QC); and Grollier Hall, Inuvik (NT).

The stark archival images of these institutions serve as a reminder of the fear, loneliness, pain and shame that Indigenous children experienced within their walls. While the last residential school closed in the late 1990s, these damaging intergenerational impacts are still felt by Indigenous Peoples, wherever they may live today.

The cancel location for this issue is Ottawa, Ontario, and features the Survivors’ Flag, which honours Survivors and all those affected by the residential school system. Each element depicted on the flag was developed through consultation and collaboration with Survivors from across Canada. The flag was unveiled on the first official National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2021.

If you require support, please call the 24-hour toll-free National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.

Product # 414240131

Truth and Reconciliation: Official First Day Cover