B.C. committee recommends honorary degree given to principal of former residential school be rescinded
Warning: This article contains disturbing details. Reader discretion is advised.
A sub-committee formed by the University of British Columbia has recommended the honorary degree granted to a former principal of a residential school where unmarked graves were detected last year be rescinded.
Details on the review were released Tuesday, nearly a year after a review was launched into what role Bishop John O'Grady played at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The review began in 2021 shortly after Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc announced the detection of more than 200 unmarked graves at the site of the former school.
"Understandably, there have been many calls from both within the university and from the broader community for this honorary degree to be rescinded," a statement from the university said.
"Based on its deliberations and consultations, the sub-committee recommends that the senate rescind its approval of the honorary degree awarded to the late John Fergus O’Grady, as well as conducting a historic reflection on its role in the subjugation of Indigenous people and communities, in addition to several other recommendations."
The honorary doctors of law degree was granted to O'Grady in 1986, while he was the Catholic bishop of Prince George. A statement in UBC's online archives said O'Grady was granted the degree for his efforts "to make education more accessible to local communities in the Interior and to do so in a way which would bring the native and white communities closer together." The statement also said O'Grady "appreciated the role of education in the lives of people of this province."
In its report, the committee said it made its recommendations using a "balance of probabilities" standard of proof.
"O'Grady was principal at the Kamloops Indian Residential School for 13 years from 1939-1952, during the time it held Canada’s highest residential school population," the committee's report said.
A review of O'Grady's legacy said at least six pupil deaths were recorded between 1945 and 1950, which is when he was principal.
"Five of the six of these recorded deaths were blamed on disease, and one from a lack of due care and supervision signed off on by O’Grady himself," findings shared to the committee by Alyssa Leier, curator of the Prince George Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre, said.
"As for the other five, it is documented by staff working at Kamloops Indian Residential School that due to overcrowding, it was impossible to isolate the sick children from the healthy ones, leaving many healthy children to get sick during their time there."
The sub-committee said it considered whether it was possible that O'Grady did not know about the deaths of students while he was principal. The committee concluded, however, "that it is more likely than not that O’Grady was aware of the deaths of some of those children and failed in his duty to protect them or to treat their deaths with dignity as the chief administrator of the residential school."
As a result, the committee recommended the approval of an honorary degree for O'Grady be rescinded by UBC's senate.
"The sub-committee makes this recommendation both in reflection of O'Grady's administration of this residential school, but also as a statement of UBC's complicity in overlooking the systemic injustices that were occurring over that period of time with respect to Indigenous children," the committee's report said.
Now, the public is welcome to review the report and make recommendations by emailing vancouver.senate@ubc.ca until June 24. After that, the senate will make its decision on those recommendations.
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 at 1-866-925-4419, or the Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll free line at 1-800-721-0066.
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.