The official discussion on the idea of reconciliation began in 1998 when the federal government responded to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, which included a chapter on residential schools. The government's response was called Gathering Strength: Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan. This document included a Statement of Reconciliation where the federal government acknowledged its role in the creation and management of residential schools and the development of policies to assimilate Indigenous Peoples. During the release of the report, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Jane Stewart also announced the federal government's commitment of $350 million for community-based healing as a first step to to address the legacy of abuse left by the residential school system. In 2008, Canada's official apology for residential schools was delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. (Canadian Encyclopedia)

Source: Reconciliation in Canada (Canadian Encyclopedia)