Indigenous artist carving 2,500-pound jade monument to honour B.C. residential school victims, survivors
An Indigenous artist is carving a 2,500-pound jade monument to honour both the victims and survivors of a former residential school in B.C.'s Interior.
The memorial will be placed at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School where about 215 unmarked graves were discovered in May, prompting nationwide calls for action and reconciliation.
The large piece of jade was donated by Tony Ritter, the co-owner of Cassiar Jade Contracting in Yukon.
"I feel the jade is the perfect material to create an important piece. It’s strong, resilient and beautiful, all qualities that reflect the Indigenous people this monument will represent," Ritter said in a news release. "I am honoured to be able to share it with the Indigenous community, and humbled D'Arcy Basil has agreed to carve the stone."
Basil is a Secwepemc First Nation artist living on the unceded Musqueam traditional territory who knows first hand about the devastating impacts of the residential school system.
"I hope this can help contribute to some healing," said Basil. "My father went to that same school so I am aware of this horrible dark legacy and know the negative impact the residential school has had on many generations."
Basil is hosting an event on Granville Island this weekend to raise money for the monument and to establish a mentorship program for Indigenous carvers.
"This fundraising event is a way for Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals to learn about the history of residential schools, the impact they have had on Indigenous people and for all those who have wanted to do something, the opportunity to contribute to the fundraising efforts to complete the Kamloops Residential School children's monument," Basil added.
The event, called No Children Will Be Forgotten, is taking place Sept. 25 to 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.