Mixed reaction from residential school survivors after announcement of papal visit

CTV National News: Honouring survivors An Indigenous legacy gathering was held in Toronto to honour residential school survivors. Donna Sound has more.

TORONTO — There's mixed reaction among residential school survivors after the Pope agreed to visit Canada. While many survivors want the apology that they say is due to them, others are questioning the cost of the visit.

The Vatican said Oct. 27 that the Pope is willing to travel to Canada after an invitation from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. This potentially sets the stage for a papal apology, although the Vatican has not indicated that an apology from the Pope would be guaranteed as part of a visit.

Michael Cheena spent eight years of his life at Bishop Horden Memorial School in Moose Factory Island, Ont. and Shingwuk Hall Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. He says he was surprised to hear about the announcement from the Vatican.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the Pope come to Canada to apologize to residential school survivors," he told CTV News.

More than 150,000 children were forced to attend government- and church-run residential schools. The children were forbidden from practising their culture, and often subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

There were 139 schools in the system, which ran for over 150 years until 1996. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimates that approximately 4,100 to 6,000 children died amid abuse and neglect while in the residential school system.

The 58th call to action from the commission calls upon the Pope to issue an apology on Canadian soil for the Catholic Church's role in the residential school system.

But other survivors, such as Shishigo Gowsh, are expressing concern about the cost of the visit. Papal visits have generally cost as much as $100 million, a large portion of which is paid for by taxpayers along with local Catholic churches.

"No, it's not worth it. I don't think so," Gowsh told CTV News. "Why can't he just do it like everybody else, through the television?

Many survivors would prefer the money to go towards healing, cultural and language efforts and to pay them compensation.

"I would love to see something where there's actions rather than words, because that's been happening too much," residential school survivor Vivian Timmins told CTV News.

No timeline or itinerary has been announced for the papal visit, which some observers expect will take place sometime in 2022. A delegation of First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders is also planning on travelling to Rome for a meeting with the Pope in December.