Catholic order that staffed Kamloops school agrees to share archives with Indigenous communities
The congregation of Catholic women that staffed the Kamloops residential school for decades has reached an agreement with the Royal BC Museum to make its records more accessible to Indigenous communities, including the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation.
The Sisters of St. Ann and the museum signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that they said aims to “provide enhanced access” to its private archives to the museum.
“We grieve with all of those who have lost children, classmates, ancestors in the school,” said Sister Marie Zarowny, president and board chair of the Sisters of St. Ann.
“Essentially we’re saying…we recommit ourselves today,” Zarowny added.
The congregation said Wednesday it had previously turned over its records from the four residential schools where its members taught, including Kamloops, to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
“We’ve realized they haven’t been accessible there,” Zarowny said.
“We will go through everything again and make sure we didn’t miss anything the first time.”
BC Archives staff will review the records, working alongside the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at the University of British Columbia, who will act as a “neutral third party” to increase transparency.
Acting head of archives Genevieve Weber is reviewing other records from Kamloops, including from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who ran the residential school.
Weber said while she understood the congregation’s records weren’t extensive, they would “certainly add to the overall understanding of the school and add a significant layer of context.“
According to the congregation, those archival records include correspondence, photographs, financial records and accounts of daily life.
First Nations have called for the Sisters of St. Ann to release any and all records it retains after the discovery last month of the potential unmarked graves of up to 215 children, some as young as three, on the grounds of the former residential school.
While Zarowny said the records included mention of child illness and death, she indicated she believed those names were included in the 51 already recorded on the memorial register of the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation.
Likewise, while Weber said she’d come across records mentioning student deaths in the materials from the Oblates, every mention has been of a child already named on that list.
The Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc have previously said they believe the remains of the 215 children discovered using ground-penetrating radar are in addition to the 51 children on the register.
CTV News has reached out to the Nation for comment on the agreement.
The MOU is scheduled to take effect July 1.
The Sisters of St. Ann taught at the Kamloops Indian Residential School from 1890 to 1891, and 1893 to 1970 and also provided child care and nursing services.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.