Where to buy orange shirts in Toronto that support Indigenous communities, Canada Reviews

On Sept. 30, the entire country will be honouring the sixth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and orange shirts are in high demand. Orange Shirt Day, as it’s otherwise known, is meant to honour the survivors of the residential school system along with those who died at the hands of the organizers of the system. Orange shirts, inspired by Phyllis’ Story, symbolize one of the many personal items stripped from students.

Here are a few Toronto stores to find orange shirts that are either designed by Indigenous artists, sold at Indigenous-owned businesses or whose proceeds are going to reconciliation efforts to honour Orange Shirt Day in 2026.

The Cedar Basket

At the Cedar Basket, the gift shop at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, you can find “Every Child Matters” inscribed on everything from orange T-shirts to hats, patches and flags. One such shirt has the words written beside a braided heart, designed by artist Chippewar. The proceeds for some of the shirts will be directed to Native Northwest Reconciliation Fund, BC Aboriginal Childcare Society, Urban Native Youth Association and Aboriginal Headstart Association of BC.

Native Arts Society

 

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The Native Arts Society is an Indigenous-owned art gallery and studio space located at 115 Church St. There are a few different orange shirts available this year, including a limited edition Isaac Murdoch printed T-shirt, with proceeds going to the art gallery’s art drive (which gives free art supplies to Indigenous artists living on the streets or those who are under housed or recently incarcerated and Inuit artists). Another version features an image of jingle dress dancer Brianna Olson-Pitawanakwat, who is also co-founder of Native Arts Society. Proceeds from shirt sales go to Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction, a grassroots initiative with the goal of reducing the harm and burden that society places on Indigenous people.

Old’s Cool General Store

Old’s Cool General Store, located in East York, has been supporting Orange Shirt Day before the official declaration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The shop has a variety of shirts available, including a beautiful design titled The Children Are Coming Home by Deanna Samuel, Ditidaht, Nuu-chah-nulth and a new orange shirt design, featuring a mother bear sheltering her cub by Indigenous artist Joshua Hunt. Proceeds from the shirts go to the Anishnawbe Health Foundation.

U of T Bookstore

University of Toronto offers a unique orange shirt design in two different styles — and the design was created by an Indigenous student. MJ Singleton, an Ojibwa, two-spirit student from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation, is the winner of a tri-campus design contest. Their design, titled noojimo’iwe, emphasizes the importance of healing the intergenerational trauma of residential schooling by supporting and loving those around you. The university will not be collecting any proceeds from the sale of the shirts, and $10 from each sale will go towards the Orange Shirt Society. 

Sunnybrook Gift Shop

Available for pickup in-store, Sunnybrook Hospital’s gift shop is selling two orange T-shirt designs that were created by local Indigenous artist Animikiik’otcii Maakaai, an Anishinaabe multidisciplinary artist from Toronto. Maakaai’s father, Alex McKay, is depicted in the illustration on this orange T-shirt and survived attending two residential schools. Proceeds from the sale of these shirts will be donated to the ENAGB Indigenous Youth Agency, a Toronto-based Indigenous organization that empowers Indigenous youth ages 12 to 29 through culturally grounded programs focused on healing, wellness, life skills, employment, recreation and self-determination.