Kamloops residential school search could take decades as questions over funding and findings persist

(Image courtesy Archives Deschâtelets-NDC)

A search for alleged unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site could take decades to produce answers, Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation told a Senate committee, nearly five years after the initial claim that shocked the country.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Casimir acknowledged that no human remains have been recovered to date and confirmed that no excavation work has yet been undertaken, despite $12.1 million in federal funding earmarked for exhumation, forensic testing and DNA analysis.

“The truth cannot be confirmed,” Casimir said, adding that the process would be long and could not be rushed.

The 2021 announcement that ground-penetrating radar had identified 215 “potential graves” at the Kamloops site sparked national outrage and prompted a sweeping federal response, including lowering flags to half-mast for 161 days and committing $320 million for further searches and support for affected communities.

Nearly five years later, however, the investigation has yet to produce physical evidence.

Earlier reporting showed that three years after the announcement, no human remains had been recovered and there was no public accounting for the $7.9 million initially allocated for fieldwork, records searches and securing the school grounds. Federal officials and the First Nation redirected inquiries back to each other when asked how the money had been spent.

Subsequent disclosures raised further questions about the use of public funds. Financial records later released following an order from Information Commissioner Carolyn Maynard showed that millions in federal funding were allocated to consultants, publicists and administrative expenses, while providing little evidence of direct fieldwork to locate graves.

The spending breakdown included $405,000 for administrative costs, $37,500 for marketing, $100,000 for two trauma counsellors for six months, and $532,000 for site security. Other expenditures included payments to publicists, architects and engineers tied to long-term projects such as a healing centre, museum and culturally supportive nursing home for Indigenous elders. No human remains have been found.

(Data courtesy Angus Reid)

Federal departments have also resisted releasing key documents related to the investigation. Requests for activity progress reports submitted by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc under the funding agreement were denied under access-to-information law, with officials citing confidentiality provisions and not explaining why the reports were considered confidential.

Internal government correspondence obtained separately suggested skepticism about the claims existed early on. Parks Canada staff questioned whether ground-penetrating radar data supported repeated public references to “graves” or “burials,” noting that the 215 radar “hits” identified in 2021 had not been investigated in a way that could confirm they were graves and that the technology frequently produces false positives.

Consultants recommended more cautious language such as “possible” or “probable” graves until further investigation could be carried out.

By 2024, internal discussions reflected even greater caution. One internal email stated that ground-penetrating radar “does not provide evidence of potential unmarked graves” but only evidence of anomalies below the surface.

At the Senate hearing, Sen. Mary Jane McCallum urged that any remains be exhumed and returned to families, while Sen. Scott Tannas questioned how long Canadians would have to wait for answers.

Casimir said the First Nation continues to weigh options between excavation and memorialization, but did not say when any recovery efforts might begin.

The absence of physical evidence after nearly five years has contributed to growing skepticism, even as officials maintain that uncovering the truth will require more time. The federal government has not said whether it will release any portion of the progress reports or provide a full public accounting of the work completed under the funding agreement.