Orange Shirt Day project fits students to a tee

On the eve of Orange Shirt Day, hundreds of black T-shirts will be handed out to teenagers at Elmwood High School — and there wasn’t a mixup in the clothing procurement process.

The student-run business behind the initiative wanted to make a statement about “truth and reconciliation” being a year-round activity, said Daniel Concepcion, a Grade 12 student.

Daniel said given that black is a staple in the wardrobe of teenagers, he hopes these shirts won’t sit on hangers for 364 days of the year.

“Every child matters, every part of the day, every day,” the 17-year-old said.

Students who attend grades 7 to 12 at the 505 Chalmers Ave. building have spent the better part of September learning how to screenprint.

Orange ink is a challenging substance to work with but is now a permanent fixture in the Elmwood Supply Company workshop — used to transfer an alumna’s custom artwork onto more than 800 cotton T-shirts.

The original piece depicts a mother, who has Ojibwa floral beadwork-inspired decorations in her braided hair, gazing down lovingly at a baby in her arms. The image is accompanied by a heart and six digits: 24-7-365.

“Every child matters, every part of the day, every day.”

“I wanted people to think ‘oh, this could be me and my mom,’” said Ashlyn Anderson-Williams, a graphic designer who graduated from Elmwood in the spring.

The close-up aims to capture the innocence of childhood and the intimate act of parenting — things that were “lost” when children were taken to residential schools, said Anderson-Williams, whose family is from Hollow Water First Nation.

The 18-year-old made sure the mother’s braid was tucked into her baby’s swaddle “to represent the teaching that everything is connected.”

Elmwood Supply secured a $7,000 grant via the Manitoba Orange Shirt Day Fund to carry out the design, made by Anderson-Williams via drawing application Procreate, and mass distribution.

Two years ago, Manitoba began observing a new statutory holiday to honour the First Nations, Métis and Inuit children who never returned home from church and state-run schools created to assimilate them.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is also known as Orange Shirt Day, a nod to the advocacy of Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor whose orange shirt was taken from her when she attended an institution in B.C. in the 1970s.

Age-appropriate learning about residential schools has been taking place across the Winnipeg School Division since the 2026-27 academic year got underway after Labour Day.

“It’s overwhelming what the schools do in order to really honour (Sept. 30), but if you go to any of our schools, they will say it’s not just about one day,” said Matt Henderson, superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division.

The division recently created a second annual pow wow targeted to complement its longstanding end-of-year event honouring Grade 12 graduates.

The Dagwaagin Pow Wow, which took place on the Naawi-Oodena field at the corner of Kenaston Boulevard and Grant Avenue on Thursday, drew about 9,000 people to celebrate First Nations culture.

“It’s about actually remembering and actually doing the thing that has to be done … not just wearing a shirt one day.”

Upwards of 50 teenagers, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous students enrolled in the Elmwood Supply course and their friends, have contributed to the black and orange T-shirt project. They’ve been doing screenprinting during lunch periods, spares and after dismissal.

Teacher-advisers Patrick Gadsby and Matthew Reis help their students hone hands-on skills through the credited course.

Elmwood Supply was established in 2020 after Reis spotted students attempting to make gang-related merchandise in class.

He tapped a colleague with a background in business education to launch a class that appeals to students’ interest in fashion to teach them about professionalism, marketing and outreach and other key employment skills.

For Gadsby, the course is all about setting students up for success to be able to advocate for themselves, communicate clearly and “navigate the world outside these walls.”

“This was our first screenprinting experience. There are a lot of clothes with paint on them that shouldn’t,” he said, adding that Elmwood Supply has printed on clothing with a heat press in the past.

Reis said it’s been both entertaining and rewarding to watch students try something new and make mistakes, as well as “passionately want to correct (them).”

“There are countless curriculum outcomes being met without even trying,” the high school teacher said.

Their students’ current project has been nearly a year in the making. Screenprinting began when students returned from summer break.

Daniel will be speaking about the symbolism of the new T-shirts at an assembly Tuesday.

He said learning about the residential school system and its lasting impact on his Indigenous friends has made him more empathetic and motivated to encourage others to take action to “reconcile,” he said.

The Grade 12 student said that being a part of this project was one small way he’s taken action.

“It’s about actually remembering and actually doing the thing that has to be done … not just wearing a shirt one day.”

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca