Manitoba Government Purchases Turtle Crossing Campground to Protect Potential Residential School Graves
The Manitoba provincial government has acquired the Turtle Crossing Campground in Brandon, a site believed to contain unmarked graves of children from the Brandon Residential School. Premier Wab Kinew is set to dedicate a memorial at the location on Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The Manitoba provincial government completed the purchase of the Turtle Crossing Campground property in Brandon on Monday. The acquisition secures a site that researchers believe contains the unmarked graves of children who attended the Brandon Residential School.
Premier Wab Kinew is scheduled to dedicate a memorial at the campground on Wednesday, coinciding with Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. The event marks a significant step in recognizing the history associated with the land.
The Brandon Residential School operated from 1895 to 1972. According to available information, the specific burial area within the current campground grounds is believed to have been used between 1896 and 1912. In 2018, an initial geographical survey conducted by Sioux Valley Dakota Nation researchers identified 56 potential gravesites at the location.
The history of the property involves several transitions in ownership and use. The City of Brandon took over the land in the 1920s and developed it into a recreational campground during the 1960s. In 2001, the city sold the property to private owners. During the mid-2000s, a fence and memorial marking that had previously indicated the cemetery were removed.
Efforts to protect the site gained momentum in recent years. In 2023, the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and the advocacy group Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak called on the province to designate the campground as a provincial heritage site. The Sioux Valley Dakota Nation began searching for unmarked graves at the site in 2012.