Town of Mundare to Establish Shoe Memorial for Victims of Residential School Tragedy

Town of Mundare to Establish Shoe Memorial for Victims of Residential School Tragedy

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

On June 1 members of Mundare town council voted to establish a shoe memorial outside its administration building.

The decision comes after the recent discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children in unmarked graves found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Mayor Mike Saric stated, “As a council, and more over as empathetic humans we felt that it was important to acknowledge the tragedy that the Residential School System has come to represent.

The discovery of the remains of 215 children that were forcibly taken from their families and communities has validated what the survivors and their families have been saying for generations. We felt that the least we could do is support a memorial to show our respect for all the victims.”

Council’s decision stems from a letter of request from the Stand with Asians Coalition requesting the establishment of a shoe memorial similar to the one they created outside of the Burnaby Metrotown Library on June 1.