Unmarked graves found in Shubenacadie, N.S., not linked to former residential school, search finds
A team of Nova Scotia researchers has confirmed they were unable to find any unmarked graves for students who died while attending the largest residential school in Atlantic Canada.
The Sipekne'katik First Nation issued a statement Wednesday saying the search of the former Shubenacadie Residential School site north of Halifax included the use of ground-penetrating radar and aerial laser scanning. The survey team's leader, Dr. Jonathan Fowler, said the search included scans of the surrounding farmland.
Fowler, an associate professor with Saint Mary's University in Halifax, said evidence of unmarked graves was identified, but it predated the 1930 founding of the residential school by about 100 years and is likely connected to former landowners.
The First Nation's chief, Mike Sack, told members of the local Mi'kmaq community the search will resume if new information comes forward.
"As we said at the outset, our best hope would be to find no evidence of graves as we continue to grapple with the effects of the residential school system on our communities," Sack said. "We know that people need closure and healing."
Ground-penetrating radar was used at the former school in April and December of last year and again this past June and July.
There is an official list of 16 students who died while attending the school, but local Mi'kmaq elder Dorene Bernard has said survivors have come forward in the past three years to provide the names of more missing children.
The Department of Indian Affairs brought students to the school from all three Maritime provinces and the Restigouche reserve in Quebec. Operated by the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Halifax until 1956, the institution was the only school of its type in Atlantic Canada. It was closed in 1967 and burned to the ground in the 1980s.
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada issued a report saying the country's church-run, government-sponsored residential school system was a tool for cultural genocide. The commission compiled a list 4,100 names of children who died of disease or accident while attending a residential school.
"Some of these children ran away, while others died at the schools," the commission concluded. "The exact number of children who died at school may never be known, but the death rates for many schools, particularly during times of epidemic or disease, were very high."
Last month, the federal government announced it would increase funding beyond the $27.1 million pledged in the 2019 budget for searches for unmarked graves. The funding announcement followed recent discoveries of more than 1,000 unmarked graves at several residential school sites. In all, about 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children attended residential schools.
For those Indigenous families who resisted the system, children were forcibly taken away by the RCMP. The schools were also known for overcrowding, poor sanitation, unhealthy food and menial labour. Harsh punishment was meted out for students who spoke their native language or took part in traditional ceremonies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.