Premier calls discovery of unmarked graves near another B.C. residential school a 'tragedy'

Victoria -

Premier John Horgan on Tuesday acknowledged the “tragedy of the revelations” that more unmarked graves have been discovered at another former Indigenous residential school site in British Columbia.

The Penelakut Tribe said in a notice shared online Monday that it has confirmed more than 160 "undocumented and unmarked graves” on Penelakut Island, formerly Kuper Island.

The small island near Chemainus, B.C., was home to the Kuper Island School, which operated from 1890 until 1975.

"We understand that many of our brothers and sisters from our neighbouring communities attended the Kuper Island Industrial School,” said Penelakut Tribe Chief Joan Brown in a statement shared by the neighbouring Cowichan Tribes.

“We also recognized with a tremendous amount of grief and loss, that too many did not return home," Brown added.

The premier said his government is awaiting the direction of the Penelakut and other First Nations across the province before acting on the recent discoveries.

“It would be, I think, premature to do anything other than to await the direction of the communities that are going through not just the grieving of the revelations of these discoveries but generational trauma,” Horgan said.

“That does not change at all the tragedy of the revelations that we’re hearing from communities right across British Columbia,” he added.

Students set fire to the Kuper Island school when holidays were cancelled in 1896, and two sisters drowned while trying to escape the island in 1959, according to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Kuper Island survivor Eddy Charlie told CTV News in May that “many children tried to swim away and died while trying to escape,” prompting fellow students to refer to the school as “Canada’s Alcatraz.”

Horgan said Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley will remain in daily contact with the Penelakut about the discovery.

In a statement Tuesday, North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring expressed “incredible sadness” at the discovery of the graves, adding "the grief, ongoing pain, and trauma felt by survivors and families is enormous as these horrific truths of Canada’s past come to light.”

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419, or the Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll free line at 1-800-721-0066.

Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.