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
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.