66 more potential graves identified at former B.C. residential school
The lead investigator in the search for unmarked graves at a former residential institution near the Williams Lake First Nation in central British Columbia says their work has uncovered 66 additional “reflections,” indicating children's graves.
Whitney Spearing told a news conference the results of the second phase of their investigation show crimes were committed against children at the Catholic-run St. Joseph's Mission, which operated between 1886 and 1981.
In addition to the reflections found in a technical survey, she said interviews with survivors and searches through archival records revealed that babies born as a result of child sexual assault at the mission were disposed of by incineration.
Spearing said their work found “a minimum” of 28 children died at the mission, many of them buried in unmarked graves around the site.
She concluded her remarks Wednesday by saying it “must be emphasized” that no geophysical investigation could provide evidence of human remains with certainty.
“Excavation is the only technique that will provide answers as to whether human remains are present within the reflections at St. Joseph's Mission,” Spearing said.
The nation first announced a year ago that the first phase of its investigation had uncovered 93 “reflections” indicative of human burials.
Combined, both phases identified 159 possible unmarked graves.
Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars said 34 of 782 hectares requiring investigation have so far been subjected to geophysical analysis, and the next steps will potentially involve excavation in areas that have already been scanned.
Children from 48 different First Nations attended the institution, he said, and engaging with those communities around potential exhumation is a “scary thought.”
“But by working together, I feel confident that we will be able to hold each other up.”
The purpose of the investigation is “bringing the truth to light,” Sellars said.
Some Canadians question the legitimacy of his community's investigation and others underway at former residential institutions across the country, he added.
“To those who are skeptical, we assure you that there is an overwhelming abundance of evidence, and that it is being carefully compiled in an orderly and scientific way.”
The probe at St. Joseph's began after ground-penetrating radar located what are believed to be more than 200 graves at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., in May 2021, prompting similar searches and findings in several provinces.
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.