The site of a former residential school in central Winnipeg is set to become a place of healing.
Ground was broken Thursday on the Assiniboia Residential School Commemorative Monument & Gathering Place.
It will stand next to the former Assiniboia Residential School that operated between 1958 and 1973.
“Although the school was located in a highly visible spot in primarily white, middle-class River Heights, very few local residents were aware there was an Indian Residential School in their neighbourhood,” the Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group Inc. said in a release.
The legacy group is comprised of several survivors who were among the 750 students forced to attend the school. They want to educate Canadians about the trauma they experienced.
They also want the commemorative site to be a place of reflection and healing.
All three levels of government are funding the project, which is expected to be ready for the second national Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
