residential schools

Georgina Martin poses for a photo at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park in Prince George, B.C. on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/James Doyle

Families and former patients seek access to federal ‘Indian hospital’ records

Survivors say they were tied to their beds, forced away from their families and sexually abused

Georgina Martin poses for a photo at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park in Prince George, B.C. on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/James Doyle
Roy Johnson has been working for years to get recognition for time he spent at the Choutla Residential School in Carcross when he was too young to actually be enrolled as a student. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)

Yukon man taken to residential school at 4 years old denied compensation for early years

Roy Johnson says he endured extensive abuse at the Choutla Residential School

Roy Johnson has been working for years to get recognition for time he spent at the Choutla Residential School in Carcross when he was too young to actually be enrolled as a student. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)
The Survivor’s flag flies on Parliament Hill beside the Peace tower, Monday, August 29, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

VIDEO: Flag raised on Parliament Hill to honour residential school survivors

Elected officials asked to take moment while going about their work to pause when they see the flag

The Survivor’s flag flies on Parliament Hill beside the Peace tower, Monday, August 29, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
A 1957 aerial photo of St. Mary’s Residential School at Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission. Several years later the buildings would be demolished after the new school built in 1960. Mission Community Archives photo.

Stó:lō researchers start search for unmarked graves at former St. Mary’s Residential School in Mission

Radar work starts Thursday, Aug. 25, and will continue into 2023

A 1957 aerial photo of St. Mary’s Residential School at Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission. Several years later the buildings would be demolished after the new school built in 1960. Mission Community Archives photo.
Jen O’Connell, and Erica Hansom, president and vice-president of Evans PAC, near the new orange crosswalk in Chilliwack at Evans Elementary School. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)

Orange crosswalk in Chilliwack painted to honour residential school survivors

‘The hope is that it becomes a conversation piece, where a child might ask what it’s about:’ PAC prez

Jen O’Connell, and Erica Hansom, president and vice-president of Evans PAC, near the new orange crosswalk in Chilliwack at Evans Elementary School. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller speaks during an announcement at a news conference in Ottawa, on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Deal freeing Catholic entities from $25M campaign for residential schools released

Feds chose not to appeal the 2015 court decision while also covering the groups’ legal fees

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller speaks during an announcement at a news conference in Ottawa, on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Dr. Cindy Blackstock speaks at the International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect conference in Calgary on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Draft remarks prepared for a cabinet minister following the discovery of unmarked graves shows Ottawa was careful to say the abuses Indigenous children suffered at residential schools didn’t happen “at the hands of the federal government.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Draft speech on residential schools edited out blaming Ottawa for abuse: documents

Advocate says changes to the draft reveal a government still in a position of defending itself

Dr. Cindy Blackstock speaks at the International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect conference in Calgary on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Draft remarks prepared for a cabinet minister following the discovery of unmarked graves shows Ottawa was careful to say the abuses Indigenous children suffered at residential schools didn’t happen “at the hands of the federal government.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Leah Gazan rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, June 21, 2021. The federal NDP member of Parliament says she hopes all of her colleagues will now recognize what happened inside residential schools as a genocide, after the system was recently called such by Pope Francis.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Leah Gazan rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, June 21, 2021. The federal NDP member of Parliament says she hopes all of her colleagues will now recognize what happened inside residential schools as a genocide, after the system was recently called such by Pope Francis.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Pope Francis presides over a Vespers service at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre Dame de Quebec, Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Quebec City, Quebec. Pope Francis crisscrossed Canada this week delivering long overdue apologies to the country’s Indigenous groups for the decades of abuses and cultural destruction they suffered at Catholic Church-run residential schools. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Pope Francis presides over a Vespers service at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre Dame de Quebec, Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Quebec City, Quebec. Pope Francis crisscrossed Canada this week delivering long overdue apologies to the country’s Indigenous groups for the decades of abuses and cultural destruction they suffered at Catholic Church-run residential schools. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Raymond Frogner, the head archivist for the Winnipeg-based National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, was recently in the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate archives in Rome searching for documents related to the religious order’s time running residential schools in Canada. Frogner is shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Raymond Frogner

‘Very profound’: Hundreds of residential school photos found in Rome archives

Photos could help uncover what happened to some children who never returned home

Raymond Frogner, the head archivist for the Winnipeg-based National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, was recently in the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate archives in Rome searching for documents related to the religious order’s time running residential schools in Canada. Frogner is shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Raymond Frogner
Two women listen as Pope Francis delivers an open air Mass at Commonwealth Stadium, Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta. Pope Francis traveled to Canada to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

VIDEO: Indigenous people share mixed reactions to Pope’s messages of reconciliation

Pope Francis held mass at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton Tuesday

Two women listen as Pope Francis delivers an open air Mass at Commonwealth Stadium, Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta. Pope Francis traveled to Canada to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Pope Francis gets water from the lake after blessing it during the annual pilgrimage event in Lac Ste. Anne, Alta., Tuesday, July 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Pope Francis travels to Quebec City for final days of Indigenous reconciliation visit

Will then make brief stop in Iqaluit Friday before returning to Vatican

Pope Francis gets water from the lake after blessing it during the annual pilgrimage event in Lac Ste. Anne, Alta., Tuesday, July 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Pope Francis waves as he leaves the Sacred Heart Church of the First People, in Edmonton, during his Papal visit across Canada on Monday July 25, 2022. Pope Francis apologized to the Indigenous communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the residential school system. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

VIDEO: Pope visits Edmonton church that blends Catholic and Indigenous rituals

Pope on 6-day tour apologizing for Catholic Church’s role in residential schools

Pope Francis waves as he leaves the Sacred Heart Church of the First People, in Edmonton, during his Papal visit across Canada on Monday July 25, 2022. Pope Francis apologized to the Indigenous communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the residential school system. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Indigenous people hold up a banner while waiting for Pope Francis during his visit to Maskwaci, the former Ermineskin Residential School, Monday, July 25, 2022, in Maskwacis, Alberta. Pope Francis traveled to Canada to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

First Nations leaders, members react to Pope’s apology on residential schools

Pope said he was ‘deeply sorry’ to thousands gathered in Maskwacis Monday

Indigenous people hold up a banner while waiting for Pope Francis during his visit to Maskwaci, the former Ermineskin Residential School, Monday, July 25, 2022, in Maskwacis, Alberta. Pope Francis traveled to Canada to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Pope Francis meets the Canadian Indigenous people as he arrives at Edmonton’s International airport, Canada, Sunday, July 24, 2022. Pope Francis begins a weeklong trip to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope set for historic apology for abuses against Indigenous children in Canada

Pope set to speak in Alberta community of Maskwacîs on Monday

Pope Francis meets the Canadian Indigenous people as he arrives at Edmonton’s International airport, Canada, Sunday, July 24, 2022. Pope Francis begins a weeklong trip to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for the abuses committed by Catholic missionaries in the country’s notorious residential schools. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Henry Pitawanakwat of Ottawa, who is part of the official Indigenous language translation team for the papal visit in Canada, poses in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-PIPIKWAN PEHTAKWAN-Nicole Van Stone

Translators to deliver Pope’s words in languages forbidden in residential schools

Indigenous children were punished for speaking their native languages

Henry Pitawanakwat of Ottawa, who is part of the official Indigenous language translation team for the papal visit in Canada, poses in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-PIPIKWAN PEHTAKWAN-Nicole Van Stone
Pope Francis is welcomed by a group of Indigenous leaders Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

VIDEO: Pope Francis arrives in Alberta for ‘pilgrimage of penance’

Pope’s first public words to be spoken in Canada will be in Maskwacis

Pope Francis is welcomed by a group of Indigenous leaders Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Pope Francis arrives in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, on June 22, 2022. The Pope has left Rome to begin his visit to Canada aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Andrew Medichini

Pope flies to Canada for ‘penitential trip’ aimed at Indigenous reconciliation

Catholic Church’s leader expected to make apology at the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School

Pope Francis arrives in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, on June 22, 2022. The Pope has left Rome to begin his visit to Canada aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Andrew Medichini
Inuit elder Peter Irniq is pictured in Edmonton on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. It won’t be easy for Irniq, a residential school survivor, to meet Pope Francis in Iqaluit next week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

‘Say it where it happened’: Inuit residential school survivor looks to papal apology

Many Inuit remain devout Catholics, but the church has a fraught relationship with Arctic people

Inuit elder Peter Irniq is pictured in Edmonton on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. It won’t be easy for Irniq, a residential school survivor, to meet Pope Francis in Iqaluit next week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
A leftover building still stands on the Alberni Indian Residential School site on Tseshaht First Nation territory near Port Alberni. The nation started a ground penetrating radar scan of the site on July 11, 2022 and expect work to continue for two weeks. (PHOTO COURTESY TSESHAHT FIRST NATION)

Ground radar probe underway at former B.C. residential school site

Tseshaht First Nation says work around old Alberni Indian Residential School will take about 2 weeks

A leftover building still stands on the Alberni Indian Residential School site on Tseshaht First Nation territory near Port Alberni. The nation started a ground penetrating radar scan of the site on July 11, 2022 and expect work to continue for two weeks. (PHOTO COURTESY TSESHAHT FIRST NATION)