By: Mike Anderson
Flags at Town of Georgina facilities and at the intersection of Ravenshoe Rd. and Woodbine Ave. were lowered to half-mast on May 30 to mourn the loss of 215 Indigenous children whose remains were recently found in a mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.
The flags will fly at half-mast for a total of 215 hours – one hour to represent each child that was lost – until June 8.
“I share with many others the feelings of sadness and anger at what happened to those young children and for all those that were placed in residential schools,” said Mayor Margaret Quirk, in a statement emailed to The Post.
“Children taken away from loved ones and subjected to unimaginable conditions is just so hard to comprehend. And it happened in Canada.
The pain that has been suffered by the families impacted and grief being felt by Indigenous communities, I cannot imagine.
We must acknowledge what happened to these 215 innocent souls, not only to honour them but also to learn and do better. I know we can.”
The Post also reached out to the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation (CGIFN) for comment.
“We are still in shock at this horrific discovery, and at this time, we have been touching base with our brothers and sisters in Kamloops,” said Chief Donna Big Canoe.
“We want to be reflective in support of their position in this time of grief.”
In the meantime, CGIFN issued this statement on its Facebook page:
“The Chippewas of Georgina Island want to remember and honour the children who were found in this horrific discovery. We are saddened by the loss of these innocent children and grieve for our people and the families.
The devastating effects of residential schools still remain and hurt our people today. Sadly we believe these will not be the only children discovered as this was not a form of genocide this was genocide.”
York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson also released a statement on June 2:
“This is a heartbreaking reminder of the pain Indigenous children, their families, and communities were subjected to through residential schools, including the Chippewas of Georgina Island in our own community,” the statement reads.
“While flying flags at half-mast is an important recognition of our collective sorrow and a reminder of our duty to heal the wounds from this terrible part of our history, we must do more and take immediate and meaningful action on this issue.”
The statement calls on the Government of Canada to fund an investigation at all former residential schools where unmarked graves may exist, including the Kamloops site.
And to ensure that funds are provided to indigenous communities to “reinter, commemorate, and honour any individuals discovered through the investigation.”
MP Davidson also calls on the federal government to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action 71 to 76 by July 1, 2021, which includes installing markers to honour the deceased children and an online registry of residential school cemeteries.
He also wants to see a “detailed and thorough set of resources” to educate Canadians of all ages on the tragic history of residential schools in Canada.
A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former Residential School students. You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling 24-Hour National Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
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