VANCOUVER (CANADA)
News 1130 - CityNews [Vancouver, Canada]
May 30, 2021
By Bethlehem Mariam
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart is responding to the disturbing discovery of the children’s bodies in Kamloops.
In a statement released Sunday, he says mourning is not enough.
“We must continue to seek the full truth of what happened at these so-called schools, as well as other systems of oppression created by our government to destroy Indigenous peoples,” he says.
Stewart says he’s calling on the Government of Canada to provide necessary funding and support to Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc to help identify lives lost.
He’s also calling on all residential sites in Canada to be expertly examined under the guidance of local First Nations.
The flag at Vancouver City Hall has been lowered to half mast.
Meanwhile, in Surrey, a memorial was underway Sunday afternoon to honour and mourn the children’s lives lost.
Organizers said participants planned to gather at Holland Park to pay their respects, light candles, and take part in a drumming tribute.
Memorials are happening across the Lower Mainland, including 215 pairs of shoes displayed on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery to mourn and honour the children.
