B.C. First Nation says there may never be ‘full consensus’ on potential burial site
Global News
The Kamloops institution operated between 1890 and 1969, when Ottawa took control from the Catholic Church and ran it as a day school until it closed in 1978.
The British Columbia First Nation that announced the discovery of 215 potential unmarked graves at a former residential school in 2021, catapulting the issue into public discourse, says there may never be consensus on what to do with the site.
A statement from the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation says possible future outcomes for the Kamloops Indian Residential School property include excavation or preserving its orchard as a sacred site, “a place of memory and healing.”
The nation says its investigation is ongoing, with the findings so far pointing to several areas of focus, with “signatures that resemble burials” identified in some, and other areas ruled out as burial sites.
Tuesday’s statement says more than 500 children from 38 Indigenous nations living in 119 B.C. communities attended the institution at its peak, and the nation must seek consensus on how ancestral remains should be treated.
Still, it says “we also understand that full consensus may never be achieved.”
The nation says any remains would need to be repatriated in their home communities, calling it an “extremely complex and sensitive process” involving consultation with those nations, DNA analysis and forensic expertise.
Whether to dig at the site has been a fraught question, with no agreement among survivors of the institution. Some have said they see exhumation as a process to help lay victims to rest, while others don’t want the site disturbed.
In 2022, a year after the initial announcement of the discovery of suspected unmarked graves, Tk’emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir described the nation’s approach as an ongoing process of “exhumation to memorialization.”
The news comes a year and half after former health minister Adrian Dix announced the much-needed replacement, saying then it was long overdue.
Democrats are demanding Ambassador Bridge owner Matthew Moroun provide documentation of a reported meeting held with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick before Trump's threat.
From trade tensions to a shrinking workforce and existing inflation, several factors are leading to provinces posting sometimes record-breaking budgets.
The newly launched consumer rebates for electric vehicles aim to help make the purchase more affordable — but how does the cost of powering one compare with a gas vehicle?
The Kamloops institution operated between 1890 and 1969, when Ottawa took control from the Catholic Church and ran it as a day school until it closed in 1978.
The first category that’s being added is for researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience to help drive research in Canada.
A Quebec man who drowned his two children in October 2022, told a jury he has no memory of the day they died, as he testified in his own defence in Laval, Quebec.
The Ford government has broken ground on four stations and an elevated guideway for its signature Ontario Line subway, which could be finished sometime in the early 2030s.
A small black dog that was kicked in a 'disturbing and upsetting' viral video has been removed from the owner’s care, Sudbury police say.
“I am honoured to welcome Matt Jeneroux to our caucus as the newest member of Canada’s new government,” Carney said in a social media post.
It raises the base income tax rate by 0.54 per cent — the first increase in 26 years — while the deficit is predicted to soar to a record $13.3 billion next fiscal year.
While in B.C., the prime minister will attend a Liberal Party fundraiser at a private residence in Vancouver, with tickets costing $1,775.
Brampton, Mississauga and parts of Waterloo Region were among the suburbs where people flocked back to the bus, leading to overcrowding and setting records.