Catholic order that staffed Kamloops residential school signs agreement to share records: Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum and the order of Catholic nuns who staffed the former Kamloops Indian Residential School have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide researchers access to the order’s private archives of photographs, financial records and accounts of daily life at the school.
The Victoria-based museum announced Wednesday that its own researchers and those from the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at the University of British Columbia will get “enhanced access” to the records of the Sisters of St. Ann (SSA).
The nuns taught at the Kamloops residential school and provided nursing and child-care services from 1890 until 1970, according to Sisters of St. Ann president Sister Marie Zarowny. Last month, the remains of 215 children were discovered in unmarked graves at the school site.
“All archives from organizations that were involved with residential schools can play a role in the process of truth-finding and reconciliation,” said Daniel Muzyka, acting CEO of the museum, in a statement Wednesday. “Expediting access to the SSA records to Indigenous communities is a positive step along this path.”
The memorandum seeks to make records of the SSA’s involvement in the school accessible to Indigenous communities, including the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation in Kamloops.
“We affirm our commitment to collaborate in finding the truth and will assist in the process in whatever way we can,” Zarowny said. “It is of the utmost importance to us to contribute, in any way possible, to transparency and accessibility, and participate in activities that can lead to healing and reconciliation.”
The Royal BC Museum says staff will work with the IRSHDC, as a neutral third party, to audit the SSA holdings after July 1, when the agreement will take effect.
The memorandum will remain in place until all the work of reviewing and processing the records is complete and the SSA archives are transferred to the BC Archives at the Royal BC Museum.
Both IRSHDC and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation will work with the signatories of the agreement to ensure transparency and support access, according to the museum.
The agreement also seeks to accelerate the transfer of all SSA records to the BC Archives by 2025, when a new collections and research building is scheduled to open.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The UN warns Sudan's warring parties that Darfur risks starvation and death if aid isn't allowed in
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Golf season a summer tourism driver in Canada
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.