Youth in the Interlake-Eastern health region have a chance to share what reconciliation means to them through an art contest run by the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA).
The contest is open to all students in grades 5 to 12 across the region. Submissions should reflect the theme of reconciliation ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2026. The deadline to enter is September 20.
One selected artist will receive $100. The winning artwork will be used as computer and virtual meeting backgrounds for IERHA staff during September.
IERHA ran a similar youth art contest in 2024 and received 25 submissions from young people aged 12 to 18. The region serves a population that is 27 percent Indigenous, including residents of 17 First Nation communities, and acknowledges the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours survivors of residential schools and remembers the children who never came home. The day is a federal statutory holiday and coincides with Orange Shirt Day each September 30.
IERHA delivers health care on First Nation Treaty Territories 1, 2, 3, and 5 and on the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation. Its Indigenous Health team, called Waabishki Bineshiins (White Thunderbird), works to strengthen cultural safety and health equity across the system. Full contest details and how to submit artwork can be found on the IERHA website.
