“Like so many of us, I was sickened by the news that at least 215 children are buried on the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops.
“The discovery of the remains confirms what survivors of the residential school system have been saying about missing children for decades. The misery of this discovery also re-emphasizes our nation’s need to engage in reconciliation with our Indigenous friends and neighbours.
“All we can do right now is express is our deepest condolences to the generations of families who continue to live with their own grief wrought by the residential school system – and now the confirmation of innocent, helpless children who were doomed by that nightmarish system.
“On behalf of my Council colleagues and the citizens of Kelowna, we express our admiration and support to Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation for her leadership. She and the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community have pledged to collaborate and heal together through the investigation into this horrific discovery.”