Report says at least 55 children died or disappeared at B.C. residential school
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.
A British Columbia First Nation says at least 55 children died or disappeared while attending a residential school near Williams Lake, more than triple the number recorded for the institution in the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation memorial register.
The higher figure is contained in an interim report into the St. Joseph’s Mission Indian Residential School by the Williams Lake First Nation.
It says investigators will finalize ground-penetrating radar surveys this year and hold meetings on potential excavation, exhumation, repatriation, DNA testing, and genealogical mapping before any decision on digging up possible graves is made.
There are currently "no definitive processes planned" for excavation, it says.
It says no confirmed human remains have been found to date while telling skeptics there is an "overwhelming abundance of evidence" supporting the legitimacy of the investigation that is being compiled in a scientific way.
"Some Canadians find it threatening or uncomfortable that residential school investigations are causing us to scrutinize our colonial history and acknowledge the damage caused by systems, policies, and institutions promoted in our country for generations," the report released on Friday concludes.
"To those Canadians, we point out that the discomfort caused by a re-evaluation of orthodox history is an unavoidable part of bringing truth to light. It’s a necessary and healthy part of our evolution and growth as a nation."
Investigators have previously said two separate searches using ground-penetrating radar at the former school site had detected 159 possible unmarked graves.
The Catholic-run school operated from 1891 to 1981 about 500 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, and the area being searched covers 782 hectares of land.
The report says the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation memorial register lists 16 children by name as having died while under the school's care.
It says the additional 39 deaths or disappearances were verified "through archival documentation."
The report says it received more than 61,000 documents and photos as part of its research.
The school site was bought by the Williams Lake First Nation last year with the help of the provincial government, in part to help ensure the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
The report says there are also early plans to "reimagine the site as a place of healing."
It says the investigation team is working with the BC Coroner’s Service, RCMP, the B.C. government and others "to determine where – and under what circumstances – excavation of potential graves and the exhumation of human remains can occur."
It says they are working on a memorandum of understanding about "excavation, exhumation, identification, and repatriation of remains."
"At this time, no definitive processes are planned regarding excavation. Engagement sessions will be completed before any decisions are made," it says.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Who should lead the Liberals? 'None of the above,' poll finds
As questions loom over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership, a new Nanos Research poll commissioned for CTV News says a quarter of Canadians say none of the potential candidates appeal to them.
Canada's response to Trump deportation plan a key focus of revived cabinet committee
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's promise to launch a mass deportation of millions of undocumented people has the Canadian government looking at its own border.
New technology solves mystery of late First World War soldier's flower sent home to Canada
In 1916, Harold Wrong plucked a flower from the fields of Somme, France and tucked it into a letter he mailed home to Toronto. For decades, the type of flower sent remained a mystery.
U.S. election maps: How did 2024 compare to 2020 and 2016?
Though two states have yet to be officially called, the U.S. election map has mostly been settled. How does it compare with the previous two elections?
Canada rent report: What landlords are asking tenants to pay
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
N.S. school 'deeply sorry' for asking service members not to wear uniforms at Remembrance Day ceremony
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
Remembrance Day: What's open and closed in Canada?
While banks and post offices will be closed nationwide on Remembrance Day, shops and businesses could be open depending on where you live in Canada.
BREAKING Judicial recount for Surrey-Guildford confirms B.C. NDP's majority
The B.C. New Democrats have a majority government of 47 seats after a judicial recount in the riding of Surrey-Guildford gave the party's candidate 22 more votes than the provincial Conservatives.
48,584 space heaters recalled in Canada after burn injury in U.S.
Health Canada has announced a recall for electric space heaters over potential fire and burn risks, a notice published Thursday reads.