Reconciliation in Action

• In honour of Orange Shirt Day and the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Caring Society partnered with Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G) and Beechwood Cemetery to host an event on September 30 in Ottawa that was attended by over 1,250 people.
• To celebrate Have a Heart Day 2026, We hosted our annual Have a Heart Day gathering on February 12, 2026, which brought together over 700 students on unceded Algonquin territory. Over 15 schools and community organizations from the Ottawa and Gatineau area gathered to share the letters they penned to Prime Minister Mark Carney and other elected officials.
• On February 5, 2026, the Canadian Senate passed a motion recognizing May 10 each year as Bear Witness Day, a National Day of Action. To celebrate this important milestone, the Caring Society hosted nearly 300 students, educators, teddy bears, and community members at the Senate of Canada on May 8, 2026, to honour Jordan River Anderson and call for the full implementation of Jordan’s Principle.
• To support community participation in Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams, over 950 hearts were planted in heart gardens across the country by schools, organizations, community centres and workplaces in honour of residential school Survivors and support the legacy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

Spirit Bear and Friends

• Season 3 of the Spirit Bear Pawdcast, Courageous Conversations, launched on Podbean and planning for Season 4 is underway.
• Over 1,000 copies of Spirit Bear's 2026 calendar, Spirit Bear's Guide to Reconciliation, were distributed to individuals, child and family service agencies, school boards, and educators across Canada.
• Spirit Bear's four children's books continue to be made available for free online in English, French, and some First Nations languages. Over 2,000 copies of Spirit Bear's books were distributed to children, youth, families, supporters, Elders, and community membears. 
• Spirit Bear’s brand new board book, Spirit Bear’s ABCs, was published to support preschoolers as they learn the alphabet.
• Bear Shares got an upgrade! The 3D digital educational experience was updated with a new character, Mary the Bear, and new interactive Paw Portals, including Mary’s Classroom and Parliament Hill. Bear Shares 2.0 also contains French captions and activities informed by feedback from elementary school-aged children.
• 12 Reconciliation Ambearristers found new homes in schools and community centres across Canada! Each hosted bear accompanies the group as they learn about and promote TRC Calls to Action. 

Big Win for the Kids

• The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (Tribunal) has issued 35 non-compliance and procedural orders since the 2016 landmark ruling, five of which were issued this past year.
• Following orders from the Tribunal to move forward on national First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) long‑term reform without further delay, the Caring Society, National Children’s Chiefs Commission (NCCC), and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) filed The Loving Justice National Plan with the Tribunal. Canada also filed its own plan.
• The Tribunal reaffirmed that First Nations children must remain at the centre of Jordan’s Principle implementation and that unnecessary delays must be avoided, reinforcing the rights of First Nations children to receive the services and supports they need, when they need them.
• The Federal Court of Appeal upheld a major win for First Nations children by dismissing Canada’s attempt to overturn the precedent‑setting Federal Court decision in Powless v. Canada.

Making New Friends

• The Caring Society completed over 97 virtual and in-person events in 7 provinces, 2 territories and 2 countries!
• We completed more than 78,500 social media friends, gaining followers across Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky platforms.
• We participated in over 65 TV, radio, and podcast interviews, appearing in both Canadian and International media.
• We published 4 newsletters featuring over 35 articles. We distributed newsletters to over 250 First Nations Child and Family Service Agencies, Caring Society members, and educators.