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
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.