Discovery of Remains at Former Residential School in BC Hits Home in Quebec

A horrific discovery in British Columbia. The Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation says a survey they conducted found the remains of 215 children buried at the former Kamloops Indian Residential school. The first nation says they hired a specialist in ground-penetrating radar to carry out the work. Quebec Liberal MNA Greg Kelley, who represents the Jacques Cartier riding on Montreal’s West Island, is outraged.

“Heartbreaking is the first thing that comes to mind,” Kelley said. “215 children, they just disappeared. We know the sad story across Canada in these cases where children went missing and then either died in institutions or were maybe given away to another family. The families were never told what happened. They were never given any information. Their children just vanished. It’s just so heartbreaking, so sad. Seeing a case like that just brings it to light.”

Since December Kelley says a bi-partisan group in the National Assembly of Quebec has been working on Bill 79, otherwise known as the baby’s law.

“We’ve been working on legislation that would give Indigenous families, here in Quebec, the powers to do inquiries to try to find information on children who went missing in Quebec institutions or religious institutions from the 1920’s and on,” Kelley said. “So, it brought that entire discussion we’ve been having for a bout a month now to light. It also kind of hit home. We heard from those families in public hearings here in Quebec.”