Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a sunrise ceremony in Niagara Falls this morning, before heading to Ottawa for a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremony.

Trudeau says the day is about the truth of the country’s history and says Canadians need to make deliberate choices to undo the “falsehoods and wrongness.”

Survivors shared their stories of generational trauma, with the mighty Niagara river serving as the backdrop, a reminder of the anguish and pain that First Nations people carry with them.

Stories were shared that are only now being woven into the fabric of Canada’s history. Trudeau was invited to take part in a sharing circle, where he heard from survivors and their descendants first-hand.

“In the sharing circle earlier, I heard September is a time of tears; tears for the kids alone and lonely in residential schools. Tears for the parents, who were unable to give their kids the love, the protection, the support that they so needed,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau says reconciliation is the responsibility of every single Canadian. He also acknowledged the job is far from done, “scars don’t heal overnight and trust can take a long time to rebuild. But we will be there together every step of the way.”

Trudeau then made his way to Ottawa, where there were several events to mark the second annual National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

Thousands of people marched from Parliament Hill, led by residential school survivors and children to a commemorative stage at Lebreton Flats. Shoes were placed in front of the stage, a visual reminder of the children who didn’t come home from residential schools.

The federal statutory holiday, also known as Orange Shirt Day was established last year, following the discovery of hundreds of unmarked burial sites at former residential schools.