Kamloops Indian Residential School
The Kamloops Indian Residential School was part of the Canadian Indian residential school system. Located in Kamloops, British Columbia, it was once the largest residential school in Canada, with its enrolment peaking at 500 in the 1950s. The school was established in 1890 and operated until 1969, when it was taken over from the Catholic Church by the federal government to be used as a day school residence. It closed in 1978. The school building still stands today, and is located on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation.: 14
| Kamloops Indian Residential School | |
|---|---|
Kamloops Indian Residential School c. 1930. | |
| Location | |
Kamloops, British Columbia Canada | |
| Coordinates | 50.6796°N 120.2952°W |
| Information | |
| Former name | Kamloops Industrial School |
| Type | Canadian Indian residential school |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Catholic |
| Established | 1893 |
| Closed | 1978 |
| Authority | Catholic Church in Canada |
| Oversight | Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development |
| Principal |
|
| Gender | Coed |
| Enrolment | 500 |
| Language | English |
In the early 2000s, a tourist discovered a juvenile rib in the area, and in the late 1990s a child's tooth was found. In 2021, Sarah Beaulieu— an anthropologist at the University of the Fraser Valley—surveyed the area with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and concluded the probable presence of about 200 unmarked graves, though "only forensic investigation with excavation" could confirm if these were actually human remains. As of May 2022, debates were ongoing on whether to conduct an archaeological excavation to exhume potential human remains or leave the site undisturbed.