The village of Burns Lake will be flying its flags at half mast until further notice in recognition of the 215 children whose remains were found on the former Kamloops Residential School property.

“On behalf of the Village Council, I acknowledge, with great sorrow, the discovery of the remains of 215 children found at the Kamloops residential school. As a Council, we send our deepest condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and share in your grief,” said Mayor Dolores Funk in a news release issued by the village.

Last week, on Thursday, 215 bodies of Indigenous children were discovered buried on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Over the weekend, people all over the country started placing shoes outside places of significance. In Burns Lake, people have placed shoes outside the courthouse to honor the children. Earlier this week on May 31, several members of the community gathered outside the courthouse steps to memorialize and grieve the death of those children.

“The history of residential schools in the Lakes District is a similar story. The horrific treatment of First Nation children at the LeJac Residential School in Fraser Lake is well-known. This is a shameful part of Canadian history, and we recognize that it is our responsibility to ensure that this never happens again. In that vein, we recommit to the work that is required to find ways to reconcile, to heal, and move forward, together,” said funk.

Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar

priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net

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