Flags of municipal buildings in both Penetanguishene and Midland have been lowered to recognize the discovery of unmarked graves at a former residential school in British Columbia.
“In honour of the lives and memories taken of the 215 Indigenous children at a former residential school in B.C. and in solidarity with our Indigenous community, the flags at the Town of Midland Municipal Office have been lowered to half mast,” the Town of Midland announced on its Facebook page this morning.
Penetanguishene followed suit, lowering its flags in honour of the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
“This half-masting is also in memory of the thousands of children who were sent to residential schools, for those who never returned, and in honour of the families whose lives were forever changed by the residential school system,” Penetanguishene noted in a release.
Tiny Township and Penetanguishene plan to keep the flags lowered for 215 hours to recognize the tragedy.
"There will be a moment of silent reflection in council during the Wednesday, June 9 council meeting," Tiny noted in a release.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier said that flags on federal buildings should be flown at half-mast in honour of the children.
"To honour the 215 children whose lives were taken at the former Kamloops residential school and all Indigenous children who never made it home, the survivors, and their families, I have asked that the Peace Tower flag and flags on all federal buildings be flown at half-mast," Trudeau said in a statement.
The children's remains were located using ground-penetrating radar last weekend at the site in British Columbia's Interior.
Trudeau's flag call came as plans were being made to identify and return home the remains.
Last week, Chief Rosanne Casimir, of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia, said the discovery of the children, some as young as three years old, is an "unthinkable loss that was spoken about but never documented" at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.
She said more bodies might be found because there were more areas to search on the grounds.
-with files from Canadian Press
