Canada’s longest-running residential school finds a new purpose

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A former residential school in Brantford, Ont., has been transformed into a place of learning, reflection and reconciliation.

The Mohawk Institute Residential School was Canada’s longest continuously running residential school. It was once known colloquially as ‘The Mush Hole’ and operated from 1828 until 1970.

For decades, the site served as a painful part of Canadian history.

“When children died, we were never told what happened to them,” survivor Dawn Hill once said. “We believe some of them died as a result of the actions of the staff and these deaths are highly suspicious.”

A special task force was formed in 2021, and its members were trained to use ground-penetrating radar technology to search for any potential unmarked graves on the grounds.

The Survivors Secretariat, the group leading the investigation, said they used records to confirm dozens of deaths tied to the former Mohawk Institute.

Although the investigation initially focused on potential criminal implications, that changed in 2023 when the Survivors Secretariat said a coroner-led investigation had been launched to create opportunities for closure.

“Our role as the coroner is to answer questions about who died, where they died, when they might have died, the medical cause and then where they might be buried,” Ontario’s Chief Coroner, Dirk Huyer, said at the time.

Now, as the search continues to uncover the truth, the former residential school has a new purpose.

The facility was unveiled as an Interpretive Historic Site and Educational Resource on Tuesday, coinciding with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Representatives for the Woodland Cultural Centre, an Indigenous organization that operates out of the former school, said the site will share the authentic history of the residential school system, honour the lives and legacies of those affected by the Mohawk Institute and other residential schools throughout the country, foster understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and teach visitors about Indigenous history, culture and perspectives.

“We are grateful to the survivors, donors, former Woodland staff, contractors, and partners at all levels of government for supporting us in completing this major undertaking and preserving the evidence of the history of the longest-running residential school in Canadian history,” Heather George, executive director of the Woodland Cultural Centre, said.

“It is made all the more meaningful by the fact that we are re-opening the building to the public as we reach the 10th anniversary of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Of the 97 Calls to Action that accompanied the report, a number address education and heritage, and we are honoured to work to uphold these calls and be part of the truth-sharing process necessary for true reconciliation to occur.”

The special unveiling on Tuesday represented countless hours of deeply emotional work.

“I’ve been asked how I feel about the opening, and it’s a difficult question,” George wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. “The honest answer is: I am tired. We carry this work in our hearts and bodies; we love this work, or none of us would be doing it, but it is hard.”

“We face difficult questions and comments, often from well-meaning people who don’t fully understand the traumas we and our families have endured,” she continued.

“Many of us are parents who know that just decades ago, our children could have been taken to residential schools. We remember those Survivors who have passed and admire the strength of those still with us, striving to emulate it in our work.”

Work to transform the building has taken years. In 2016, the Woodland Cultural Centre began restoring the structure. The initial estimated cost came in at $23 million.

Since then, a campaign called ‘Save the Evidence’ has raised more than $26 million through federal, provincial and municipal sources as well as private donations and community-led initiatives.

Following the special all-day event on Tuesday, the site will reopen to the public starting on Oct. 3. Visitors can tour the facilities through self-guided or audio tours Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The Woodland Cultural Centre said the reopening is not a conclusion to their work. It is a commitment to ongoing education and ensuring the truth continues to be heard and understood for generations to come.

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