The smell of sage and sweetgrass floated in the air Monday over a mostly sombre ceremony to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and remember those who survived — and the thousands who didn't.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day of learning and confronting hard truths, and some schools in Ottawa attended the Beechwood Cemetery on Monday to understand the legacy of residential schools.

Residents from London, Ont., and the surrounding area marked the fourth annual Nation Day for Truth and Reconciliation Monday at the Western Fair Agriplex.