With some help from the provincial government, the Williams Lake First Nation has purchased the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School site.
Costing a total of $1.2 million, the province pitched in $800,000 for the 5.5 hectare site.
Operated between 1891 and 1981, the property is now permanently protected for historical and investigative purposes.
Led by the nation, those investigations have revealed 159 reflections through ground-penetrating radar that indicate the presence of burials.
Chief Willie Sellars says this step can ensure the integrity of their ongoing investigation, which started in 2021.
Chief Sellars also stated that they can now make long-term plans to honour and acknowledge the children who disappeared from the school.
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