National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

What National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation does

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is a Canadian non-profit national archive and research centre, established in 2015 and hosted by the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. It was created following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Final Report to preserve residential school records, survivor statements, oral histories, photographs, and related documents, and to make those holdings accessible to Survivors, intergenerational survivors and families, academic researchers, educators and students, and the general public. The institution is Indigenous-led, organized around a Governing Circle, Survivors Circle, and Elders-in-Residence, and operates the National Student Memorial Register, the Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Initiative, an interactive residential school map, and an annual Truth and Reconciliation Week.

The core technical asset is the AtoM (Access to Memory) archival database at archives.nctr.ca, which functions as the digital backbone of the institution and hosts searchable collections, a Survivor and Family Requests Dashboard, tutorial videos, and statement-gathering tools. Complementing the archive, NCTR runs education programs (ReconciliACTION Plans, Imagine a Canada, Decolonizing Lens, NCTR Dialogues), research initiatives including the SSHRC-coordinated Truth and Reconciliation Network and Graduate Research Scholarships, curated exhibits (Gallery, Survivors' Flag, Bentwood Box), publications, and a merchandise shop.

Revenue is not commercially generated in a traditional sense. The centre operates on a grant-and-donation model, with documented capital inflows from the Government of Canada (Federal Budget 2022 commitments), the Government of Manitoba (CAD $20M in September 2025 for the permanent home), the Winnipeg Foundation (CAD $5M in March 2024), the Mastercard Foundation, Canada Life, and Power Corporation of Canada, supplemented by merchandise sales through the online shop. Services to Survivors and the public are provided at no charge. The organization is currently executing a multi-year capital campaign to construct a permanent headquarters in Winnipeg, designed by Tawaw Architecture Collective.

Name

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Legal name

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Website

https://nctr.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is a Winnipeg-based, Indigenous-led national archive hosted by the University of Manitoba that preserves residential school records, survivor testimonies, and oral histories, serving Survivors, families, researchers, educators, and the public across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Federal and provincial government grants and funding for operations and the construction of permanent home
2. Donations and Gifts: Donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations including Winnipeg Foundation ($5 million), Manitoba Government ($20 million), Mastercard Foundation, and various corporate donors
3. Shop Merchandise Sales: Sales of Calls to Action booklets, Orange Shirt Day t-shirts, and NCTR merchandise featuring logo and visual message of healing, truth and reconciliation

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is a non-profit archive, research, and education institution hosted by the University of Manitoba that preserves the history and records of the former Indian Residential Schools in Canada. It maintains a public AtoM-based archival database, gathers statements from survivors, operates survivor and family request services, supports missing children and unmarked burials investigations, and delivers education and research programs supporting the ongoing reconciliation process.

Product overview

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation operates as a digital archival and educational institution centered around its AtoM-based Archives & Collections database, which serves as the spiritual and operational core of the organization. This unified platform provides public database access, survivor and family request processing, an interactive mapping tool, and statement gathering capabilities. Complementing the archive are Education Programs (ReconciliACTION Plans, Imagine a Canada, Decolonizing Lens, NCTR Dialogues), the annual Truth and Reconciliation Week, the Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Initiative with its National Student Memorial Register, Research Programs including graduate scholarships and the SSHRC-partnered Network Coordination Hub, curated Exhibits (Gallery, Survivors' Flag, Bentwood Box), and Publications & Reports. The organization also maintains a Shop for merchandise and educational materials. The NCTR functions as a single integrated institution rather than a modular platform, with all offerings serving the unified mission of preserving residential school history and advancing reconciliation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Archives and Collections (AtoM Database) A publicly searchable archival database built on the AtoM (Access to Memory) platform, providing access to records, documents, photographs, oral histories, and other materials relating to the former Indian Residential Schools in Canada. Aimed at survivors, families, researchers, educators, students, and the general public.
• Survivor and Family Requests Dashboard A dedicated service portal where survivors of residential schools and their families can submit requests for records, information, and support. Designed specifically for residential school survivors and their descendants.
• Statement Gathering Program A program that invites and records statements from former residential school students, their families, and community members, preserving testimonies as part of the national historical record. Intended for survivors, intergenerational survivors, and affected community members.
• IAP/ADR Records Service Service providing access and support related to records from the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes for residential school claimants. Intended for survivors who participated in the IAP/ADR processes.
• National Student Memorial Register A searchable public register documenting the names and information of children who died while attending residential schools, intended as a memorial and a tool for research, education, and family connection.
• Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Initiative A research and coordination initiative supporting investigations, documentation, and community-led searches for missing children and unmarked burials associated with former residential school sites across Canada.
• Interactive Map of Residential Schools An interactive online mapping tool that displays the locations of former Indian Residential Schools across Canada, supporting public education, research, and community awareness.
• Education Programs (ReconciliACTION Plans, Imagine a Canada, Decolonizing Lens, NCTR Dialogues) A suite of curriculum-linked education programs, lesson plans, and dialogue resources designed to engage educators, students, and the public on the history of residential schools and pathways to reconciliation.
• Research Programs and Coordination Hub Research programs including the Graduate Research Scholarship and the Truth and Reconciliation Network Coordination Hub that support academic research, student scholarship, and national research collaboration on residential schools and reconciliation.
• Exhibits (The Gallery, Survivors' Flag, Bentwood Box, Residential School Timeline) Physical and digital exhibits including The Gallery, the Survivors' Flag, the Bentwood Box, and the Residential School Timeline, designed for public education, commemoration, and institutional display.
• National Residential School Crisis Line Support A 24-hour national crisis support telephone line providing immediate emotional and crisis referral services to former residential school students and those affected by the legacy of residential schools.
• NCTR Shop (Merchandise) An online retail shop selling books, prints, apparel, and commemorative merchandise such as prints of Survivor artwork and the Survivors' Flag, supporting public engagement and fundraising.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2022Partnership between NCTR and SSHRC to launch the Truth and Reconciliation Network in Response to Call to Action 65. The network coordinates research and advances Indigenous-led research initiatives.
• National Film Board (NFB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2022NCTR and NFB partnership to preserve more than 1500 hours of sacred history related to residential schools, including testimony and documentation.
• Missionary Oblates of Mary ImmaculatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 July 2021Collaboration to access and preserve residential school records held in the Oblate archives, including a supplemental agreement in December 2024. Research identified 140 Oblate priests and brothers who served in residential schools.
• University of ManitobacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the NCTR. The organization is physically located at Chancellor's Hall, 177 Dysart Road on the University of Manitoba campus.
• APTNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership to host national events including 'Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation' on Parliament Hill.
• CBC/Radio-CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for national broadcasting of Truth and Reconciliation events and programming.
• Tawaw Architecture CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm selected to bring Survivors' vision to life for the NCTR's new permanent home.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS): Australia's national Indigenous research, archive, and cultural institution housing a comparable collection of historical records, oral histories, and community-led research—directly comparable to NCTR in mandate, archive function, and Indigenous-led governance model.
• Library and Archives Canada: Canada's national library and archive, responsible for preserving documentary heritage and providing public access to historical records. Comparable as the broader archival ecosystem in which NCTR operates as a specialized residential school archive.
• Canadian Museum for Human Rights: A national museum in Winnipeg dedicated to human rights education and commemoration, with overlapping audiences, education programming, and Winnipeg base—directly comparable as a Canadian institution advancing public awareness of historical injustice.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: A federally chartered museum, memorial, and archive that combines Survivor testimony preservation, education programs, and memorialization of atrocity—closely analogous in institutional design and mission to NCTR.
• Woodland Cultural Centre: An Indigenous-led cultural centre and museum in Ontario that documents the legacy of the residential school system, including the former Mohawk Institute—directly comparable in Indigenous-led preservation, Survivor service, and education mandate.
• Legacy of Hope Foundation: A Canadian charity producing Survivor-centered educational resources about the residential school system and intergenerational impacts. Comparable mission focus and audience (Survivors, educators, public), though operating without a comparable institutional archive.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: A larger, federally established institution with Indigenous-focused collections, exhibits, and educational programming. Overlaps with NCTR in archival preservation and Indigenous community engagement, though at a much broader geographic and thematic scale.

Emerging players

• Yellowhead Institute: An Indigenous-led research centre focused on Indigenous land, education, and justice—comparable as an Indigenous research and knowledge-mobilization organization, though smaller in scope and lacking NCTR's archival core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nctr_um

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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