A new bright orange crosswalk has been unveiled along Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver to pay tribute to children who never returned from residential schools. The Every Child Matters crosswalk, revealed on Sept. 17 in collaboration with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Orange Shirt Society, is aimed at honoring residential and day school survivors. Justin Sky George, chief of Tsleil-Waututh Nation, mentioned that the crosswalk symbolizes unity and invites the community to join in the reconciliation journey.
The design for the crosswalk, located at the intersection of Dollarton Highway and Sleil-Waututh Road, was created by Tsleil-Waututh artist Candace Thomas. It features a thunderbird embracing both residential school survivors and missing and murdered Indigenous women. The District of North Vancouver funded the $24,000 project, covering the cost of a custom stencil and specialized paint for safety compliance.
The Every Child Matters crosswalk is part of the initiatives by the Orange Shirt Society, established in 2013 by Phyllis Webstad to raise awareness about the residential school legacy. The society’s chief operating officer, Shannon Henderson, emphasized that the crosswalk sparks conversation and promotes ongoing learning. Plans are in place for another crosswalk unveiling at Forbes Avenue and Sixth Avenue in North Vancouver, near the former site of St. Paul’s Indian Residential School.
Elaine McHarg, CEO of North Shore Community Foundation, shared that the foundation provided a grant of approximately $25,000 to support the installation of the Every Child Matters crosswalks. Henderson mentioned ongoing efforts to introduce a similar crosswalk at Main and Hastings in Vancouver, with discussions underway with local Indigenous communities. North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little highlighted the significance of the crosswalk in Tsleil-Waututh territory, serving as a visible reminder of the community’s history and experiences.