Ontario coroner reviews cases of unidentified human remains for links to residential schools
The office of Ontario's chief coroner is embarking on a review of unidentified human remains found in the last four decades to determine if any are linked to former residential schools.
Dr. Dirk Huyer said that in many cases, his office has not fully investigated human remains when they are deemed to be more than 50 years old.
Huyer said he's been reconsidering that approach and now recognizes that his office may have missed identifying graves linked to residential schools in the province.
"Burials that may have occurred within the residential school period of time could be many years old," he said in an interview Tuesday.
"We are going to look back into our files to see if there are cases ... that are at or near residential schools."
He said the finding of unmarked graves near or at residential school sites across Canada earlier this year played a part in the decision to revisit old files.
"This summer, significant focus returned to that topic in what I believe is a national way, in a very significant way," he said.
Huyer said a team from his office will be examining findings that go back to the 1980s to determine if further investigation is required in any of the cases.
He said the team will also look for cases where an Indigenous child could have been buried outside grave sites near residential schools.
Remains of a child under the age of 14 were discovered near the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont., in August of last year.
On Saturday, Brantford police said the remains are "not modern and do not have any forensic value" and added that no further investigation would be conducted by their officers.
Huyer said he has been working with the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation and their Survivors Secretariat on the Brantford finding.
In May, a First Nation in Kamloops, B.C., announced that ground-penetrating radar had detected what are believed to be the remains of 215 Indigenous children in unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school.
Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan revealed a similar finding of more than 700 unmarked graves a month later.
Ontario has committed to spending $10 million over three years to identify, investigate and commemorate burial sites on the grounds of former residential schools in the province.
The funds will also go toward culturally appropriate supports for school survivors, their families and communities, and the entire process will be Indigenous-led.
The National Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified 12 locations of unmarked burial sites in Ontario. The province said there are likely more.
The final report from that commission detailed mistreatment at Canada's residential schools, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and more than 4,000 deaths at the institutions.
It reported known deaths of 426 children who attended schools in Ontario and an unknown number of children still missing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.