Manitoba residential school survivors working through logistical challenges to attend Pope’s visit

Some residential school survivors in Manitoba are preparing to attend Pope Francis’s visit to Canada but the trip planning has come with a few challenges.

The Pontiff will arrive in Alberta next week to start a week-long tour, with stops in Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit, focused on apologizing to Indigenous people for abuses inflicted by the Catholic Church.

While the Pope won’t be coming to Manitoba, some people will be travelling to take part in the Papal visit.

“I want to see him there and I want to know if he’s going to acknowledge the little children that didn’t make it home,” said Gerry Shingoose, a residential school survivor who’s travelling to Alberta to take part in a portion of the Pope’s visit.

Just one week before his arrival, Shingoose got an email her request for four tickets to take part had been granted.

She’s been busy ever since arranging accommodations with family and transportation to and from the Pontiff’s stop at a former residential school on July 25 and his mass in Edmonton July 26.

“It’s been quite challenging to do all that in the last couple days,” Shingoose said. “Very short notice.”

Shingoose has been fundraising to help cover travel costs.

The federal government said it has provided more than $30 million to First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities to meet the needs of survivors during the Papal visit but some said that money only goes so far.

“I mean it’s not enough money to take many people there,” said Chief David Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. “It’s quite expensive with the gas and the hotels. Even if we can get the accommodations there that’s going to be pretty hard.”

Monias said the community got more than $115,000 from Ottawa and is using the money to take a group of community members to Alberta.

A ground-penetrating radar search on the grounds of a former residential school in the First Nation began last week, making this visit an emotional and traumatic time for some members of the community.

“So we’re going to try and take them there and hopefully get to see the Pope and hopefully get to hear him with an apology,” Monias said.

Organizers of the Pope’s trip said most Papal visits are planned 18 months in advance but this one has been done in four because Francis wanted to attend now due to declining health.

While Shingoose has managed to make plans to attend, she worries the journey won’t be possible for everyone to make.

“My hope is that organizations step up and help the survivors,” Shingoose said.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), which represents northern Manitoba First Nations, said Grand Chief Garrison Settee will be travelling to Alberta to take part in the Pope’s visit and that it has sponsored a delegation to attend numerous events in the province. MKO said it’s still working on the logistics to ensure proper resources are available to delegates in attendance.

Organizers of the Papal visit said survivors are responsible for booking their own accommodations and travel.

However, they said there are discounts from airlines and a number of rooms were block-booked at discounted rates and universities and colleges made rooms available.

Emotional support and trauma counsellors will also be on hand to help during the Pope’s visit, organizers said.

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.