Manitoba and City of Brandon Purchase Campground Containing Unmarked Graves of Residential School Children
The province of Manitoba and the City of Brandon have jointly purchased the Turtle Crossing Campground for $1.9 million to protect a confirmed burial site associated with the former Brandon Indian Residential School. Sioux Valley Dakota Nation will guide decisions regarding the property's future, and Premier Wab Kinew plans to dedicate a memorial on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The province of Manitoba and the City of Brandon have partnered to purchase the Turtle Crossing Campground, a confirmed burial site associated with the former Brandon Indian Residential School. The acquisition was completed for a total of $1.9 million, with the province contributing $1.5 million and the city providing $400,000.
Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Chief Jennifer Bone described the purchase as a historical occasion for her nation, Indigenous people across Canada, and Manitoba. Under the agreement, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation will be responsible for guiding decisions around the future of the campground.
Historical records indicate that the cemetery where children from the Brandon Indian Residential School were buried was used from 1895 to 1912. The school itself opened in 1895 and closed in 1972. In 2001, the park was sold by the city and became a privately owned campground. An initial geographical survey conducted in 2018 identified 56 potential gravesites at the location.
Premier Wab Kinew visited the site and plans to dedicate a memorial there on Wednesday, Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Christopher Mancuso, a geophysical scientist with Sioux Valley, stated that having access to the grounds is critical for identifying all children who died at the school. The purchase ensures the protection and care of the burial site while facilitating ongoing research into the deaths that occurred during the institution's operation.