'Sincerest apologies': Manitoba's Indigenous relations minister says his residential school comments were wrong
Manitoba's new minister of Indigenous relations has apologized for his comments over residential schools, but now more voices from within the Pallister government are weighing in on the recent controversies.
It's been a week since Eileen Clarke resigned as Manitoba's Indigenous and northern affairs minister in part because of controversial comments made by Premier Pallister about Manitoba’s ancestral history.
Minutes after her replacement, Alan Lagimodiere, was sworn in Thursday, telling media he believed the architects of residential schools thought they were doing the right thing, and that the schools were meant to teach children skills.
These comments prompted immediate backlash from Manitoba's opposition leader Wab Kinew, along with a number of Indigenous leaders in the province.
Now, Manitoba's Families Minister Rochelle Squires has released a statement saying she wants to live in a country brave enough to accept the awful truth of what happened.
“Therefore I am deeply troubled by recent events and comments. I am taking time to reflect, to listen to the dialogue, and come to better understand my own responsibilities towards reconciliation," Squires said in a statement.
While Lagimodiere released a statement Thursday saying he misspoke, the new Indigenous relations minister issued an official apology on Friday.
"I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous Manitobans, and Canadians whom I have offended greatly with my remarks yesterday," Lagimodiere said in the statement.
"I want to acknowledge the words I used to respond to a question about residential schools, during my first scrum as a new minister in this very important portfolio, were wrong, and I genuinely and sincerely ask for your forgiveness."
The apology was backed by fellow Cabinet member, Audrey Gordon – the minister of mental health, wellness and recovery.
“I stand behind Minister Lagimodiere in terms of his comments and his statement that what he said was not what he intended to convey," Gordon said.
Leaders outside of the legislature are condemning the remarks, and it has some – including Winnipeg's mayor – wondering whether Lagimodiere will be able to continue on as minister.
"Time will tell but yesterday certainly wasn’t a good day in our efforts to move reconciliation forward," Mayor Brian Bowman said.
A since-deleted statement released on Twitter by the PC Caucus following the confrontation between Kinew and Lagimodiere accused the opposition leader of political showmanship and bullying.
CTV News requested a comment from the PC Caucus as to why the statement was deleted, but has not heard back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.