Healing and Commemoration: Residential Schools


Date: Oct 22
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Where: Theatre
Coffee & Culture

After being left out of the apology delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2008, Labrador students fought their own legal battle to come to a settlement with the Government of Canada in 2016 giving rise to the Healing and Commemoration project.  In 2019, The Rooms partnered with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to archive and make public stories collected from students who attended residential schools in Labrador and St. Anthony.  These stories and experiences are now available publicly online and are now exhibited at The Rooms as a means of educating the public about this dark time in our shared history and to foster understanding and hope for the future of healing and reconciliation.

Join, Kayla Burry, archivist with The Rooms Provincial Archives to learn about the history of residential schools in Labrador and Northern Newfoundland, the role that The Rooms played in bringing this collection to the public eye and how the exhibition came to be.

Capcity is limited, get your ticket early to secure your spot. You can reserve your ticket online, at the front desk or by calling visitor services at 757-8000.

ASL/English Interpreting Services are available through NLAD by request only to ASLservices@therooms.ca or 709-757-8090. We will do our best to accommodate requests made within two weeks of the scheduled event.

Events & Programs

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Unleash Your Inner Artist at The Rooms!

Come draw at The Rooms and practice your skills with focused exercises.

What to Expect:
Our experienced instructor will guide you through fundamental drawing techniques. Each session focuses on a different theme, from drawing the harbour view to capturing the details of our natural history collection.

This is a creative and supportive environment; all skill levels and experience are welcome! Designed for ages 15 and up.

Quality drawing supplies are available, or feel free to bring your own sketchbook.

Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Drop-ins welcome!

6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tour

Fishing for Cod

For centuries, fishing for cod has played a vital role in the lives of the peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador. Generations of fishing men, women, and children made use of the land and sea to sustain them and spent their lives “making fish.”

Join us each day for an interpretive guided tour in one of our galleries. From the story of the cod fishery to visiting a current art exhibition to a Family Rainbow Tour, there is something for everyone.

Each tour is approximately 30–40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Drawing

Unleash Your Inner Artist at The Rooms!

Come draw at The Rooms and practice your skills with focused exercises.

What to Expect:
Our experienced instructor will guide you through fundamental drawing techniques. Each session focuses on a different theme, from drawing the harbour view to capturing the details of our natural history collection.

This is a creative and supportive environment; all skill levels and experience are welcome! Designed for ages 15 and up.

Quality drawing supplies are available, or feel free to bring your own sketchbook.

Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Drop-ins welcome!

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Gallery Opening

You’re invited to a free public opening reception celebrating three new Art Gallery exhibitions:

  • Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works
  • Nasim Makaremi Nia: Elbow Room Residency
  • Goodnight Moon: a Rhythm, a Tempo by Matthew Robin Nye

Enjoy live music, refreshments, and a cash bar (19+) throughout the evening.

Admission: Free to all art gallery exhibitions during the event.

To learn more about the exhibitions and featured artists, please visit: