Search begins for unmarked graves at former Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., residential school
After lots of talk this summer, the search for unmarked graves is underway at the former Shingwauk Residential School site, at present-day Algoma University.
The work is being led by the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, in collaboration with partners who've banded together to form a new committee for the project.
Following the discovery of 215 graves in Kamloops, B.C., the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association said it immediately wanted to do the same.
"We more or less had a talking circle and right away, they said we need to do the same thing here," said Jay Jones, site search coordinator with Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association
Jones is the former president of the association and now leads the committee formed to discover the graves at the site. He said this initiative was the right thing to do.
"To say I'm honoured is an understatement -- it's something that I'm compelled to do," he said.
Chief Dean Sayers of the Batchewana First Nation said he's excited to finally see scanning get underway. Sayers said it's an important action that will help educate future generations.
"Everybody having this knowledge across the country, can work together to prevent this sort of thing from happening again, in the future," he said.
The Métis Nation of Ontario holds two seats on the committee to discover the unmarked graves. A regional councillor for the group said some of its own members were survivors of the school -- and it's doing what it can to help.
"We're bringing the views and the resources of the Métis government to support the survivors and the work that we think they should be leading," said Mitch Case, Métis Nation of Ontario Regional Councillor.
The first round of radar has wrapped up, but crews are set to return in a few weeks.
The Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association said it should have results in about two to three months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.