The Ontario government has allocated over $65 million to search the grounds of 18 former Indian Residential Schools. Residential Schools in the province in attempts to find potential burial sites.
The amount is higher than the approximately $10 million previously announced by Queen’s Park in 2021 to aid in the identification, investigation, protection, and commemoration of burial sites.
Following the discovery of a burial ground in Kamloops, B.C., containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children, a renewed effort has been made to uncover burial locations and properly mark the land.
Ontario’s NDP Indigenous and treaty relations critic, Sol Mamakwa, emphasized the necessity of locating their children and family members.
To accomplish this, Ontario is funding the search of grounds at 18 Indian Residential Schools, with the involvement of the province’s Indigenous communities in the research and commemoration process.
Greg Rickford, Ontario’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs, stated that the presence of obvious burial grounds may vary among communities, with some being located at or near the school sites.
He mentioned that over $65 million has now been dedicated to the search, covering activities related to the discovery of burial sites, as well as healing and commemoration in affected communities.
Between 1870 and 1996, over 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their communities and placed in Indian Residential Schools. Ontario's last school closed in 1991, according to the government.
Mamakwa highlighted the significance of unveiling previously unmarked burial sites in bringing back the untold stories.
The province is also implementing additional financial measures related to Indian Residential Schools, such as waiving fees for death certificates and name changes.
Rickford emphasized that removing these barriers is the right and respectful thing to do.
