Skip to main content

Monument commemorating Assiniboia Residential School unveiled in Winnipeg

Survivors of Assiniboia Residential School at the unveiling of the first permanent residential school monument in Manitoba. (Source: Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group) Survivors of Assiniboia Residential School at the unveiling of the first permanent residential school monument in Manitoba. (Source: Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group)
Share

Former students of Assiniboia Residential School were honoured Friday at the unveiling of a commemorative monument and gathering place on Academy Road.

Assiniboia Residential School was one of only a few urban residential schools in Canada and the first residential high school in Manitoba. Between 1958 and 1973, more than 765 students attended Assiniboia, mainly from Manitoba communities where there were no high schools.

Survivors from Assiniboia are being recognized at the site with their names displayed on paving stones. Each of their 85 home communities is represented by an etched, tinted metal marker. Phase two of the site’s construction will complete electrical work, add educational signage, and finish the landscaping.

Elder Betty Ross, Assiniboia Residential School survivor and co-chair of the Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group board, was at the unveiling.

"We are witnessing the impacts of stories shared by the students who attended Assiniboia Residential School from 1958-1973," said Ross in a news release. "Difficult life journeys often lead to beautiful destinations, hence this lasting Commemorative Monument that depicts the Legacy of Truth, Honour, Respect and Resilience for generations to come."

The site is open to the public and available for the community to gather and learn in the spirit of reconciliation. 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Mussolini's wartime bunker opens to the public in Rome

After its last closure in 2021, it has now reopened for guided tours of the air raid shelter and the bunker. The complex now includes a multimedia exhibition about Rome during World War II, air raid systems for civilians, and the series of 51 Allied bombings that pummeled the city between July 1943 and May 1944.

Stay Connected