The Portage la Prairie Regional Library is recognizing National Truth and Reconciliation Day creatively.

Story Walk at Island Park is a storybook distributed by many signs you can read while walking along the path. With Saturday being National Truth and Reconciliation Day, the library chose "When We Were Alone" by David Robertson. 

Jen Kendall, the Director of the Library, says the book is about a young child asking her grandmother why she dresses a certain way and why her hair is long. As the story progresses, the grandmother teaches the young child about residential schools.

"It's a beautiful story, and it's well done. So, we were allowed to use this with the permission of the publisher, the author David Robertson, and the illustrator Julie Flett."

Kendall notes that they have done other story walks before. However, this one has a deeper meaning than most. 

Jen Kendall

"We wanted to do something this week for September 30th, but we don't typically do programs on that day because I know many local reserve communities are doing their own things on that day, and we don't want to compete with that in any way. So, we decided to put the story walk on this week. It was a great way for us to participate in a way."

2021 was the first year that National Truth and Reconciliation day was recognized, before that it was more commonly called Orange Shirt day starting in 2013.