In southwestern Manitoba, the provincial government has purchased a private campground where potential unmarked residential school graves have been discovered. The acquisition of the Turtle Crossing Campground property in Brandon was confirmed by a provincial source on Monday. Premier Wab Kinew is set to unveil a memorial at the site on Wednesday, which coincides with Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.
The site is believed to contain graves of children who were compelled to attend the Brandon Residential School, which operated from 1895 to 1972. It is speculated that the burial ground was utilized between 1896 and 1912. The property was under the City of Brandon’s control in the 1920s and later transformed into a recreational area and campground in the 1960s. The city sold the land in 2001, after which it became a privately owned campground.
The Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, the current landowner of the former residential school site, has partnered with university researchers to identify all deceased children from the school. A preliminary survey conducted in 2018 at Turtle Crossing Campground revealed 56 possible gravesites, as mentioned earlier by Sioux Valley Chief Jennifer Bone.
The cemetery had a fence and memorial marker, which were removed in the mid-2000s. Bone has expressed concerns over repeated disturbances and damages to the graves by developers dating back to the 1920s. In 2023, the First Nation and the advocacy group Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak urged the province to designate the campground as a provincial heritage site for enhanced protection.
The efforts to preserve the historical significance and honor the memories of those who suffered at the residential school continue to be a focal point in the region.
