TORONTO — A prime-time special in honour of residential school survivors will air on APTN and CBC/Radio-Canada on the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

Producers say the one-hour, commercial-free "National Day for Truth and Reconciliation" broadcast will feature the stories and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples affected by the tragedies of the residential school system in Canada.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is producing the special, in collaboration with Insight Productions.

NCTR is asking First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples to share a "welcome" video in their native language to potentially be included in the broadcast or posted on the NCTR website

The special will also include musical tributes and ceremonies in Indigenous communities.

APTN will also have a full day of programming to honour the new statutory holiday, which is also known as Orange Shirt Day and is meant to reflect on the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools.

A specially curated collection titled "National Day for Truth and Reconciliation" will also be available on APTN lumi, the streaming service of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press