Thousands of youth filed into the RBC Convention Centre Wednesday to learn more about Canada's residential schools.
More than 1,700 students and 350 teachers were in attendance.
The students came from 35 school divisions across the province, as well as seven independent schools and eight First Nation schools.
All were there to learn more about Canada's residential schools as part of the official launch of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation archive.
Documents and memories collected during the Truth and Reconciliation hearings have been digitized, and brought to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.
"We made promises to survivors right across the country - that we would get this information right into the hands of young people. We would carry their stories there. And this is a big part of that journey,” said Ry Moran, director of the centre.
A journey residential school survivor Ted Fontaine is happy to see unfolding at last.
"I couldn't imagine talking about this 30 years ago, even 10 years ago,” said Fontaine.
As a young boy, Fontaine was abused at a residential school.
He told his story in his novel Broken Circle, along with to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and now to young people.
"The great satisfaction I get is having these young kids realize that you're a survivor, and coming to you and just shake my hand,” said Fontaine.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's collection includes 7,000 personal stories, 1,300 artifacts and 18,000 photographs.
