A Pembroke resident will spend 751 minutes outside of St. Columbkille’s Cathedral today (June 25th, 2021), to honour the 751 children who never made it home from a former residential school in Saskatchewan.
Duane Gastant’ Aucoin says his heart was broken after hearing the news earlier this week.
The local resident plans to spend 1-minute outside of the church for every child that was found, starting at 7:51 am this morning.
Residents who want to join Aucoin in his silent witness can come out to 188 Renfrew Street in Pembroke for as long as possible between 7:51am and 8:22pm.
Aucoin, who is Indigenous and a Tlingit from Teslin, Yukon, says his mother was lucky enough to survive the Lower Post residential school.
Aucoin says the discovery of more bodies is heartbreaking, but it doesn’t come as a surprise and says there’s many more to come.
Aucoin adds it’s time for reconciliation to mean something and be more than just words.
Aucoin encourages Catholics to talk to their priests and bishops and tell them it’s time for the pope to come and apologize on behalf of the Catholic church for their role in running the residential schools.
Aucoin says the majority of these residential schools were run by the Catholics, but they are the only church who still hasn’t apologized.
Aucoin says while there’s some people don’t want to talk about the past because that makes them uncomfortable, he believes those who want change are finding their voice, using it and coming together to make the world a better place.
The local resident says the gestures such as hanging orange ribbons, orange shirts and the pride flag mean a lot.
UPDATE: The Catholic religious community that operated residential schools in Saskatchewan and British Columbia where hundreds of unmarked graves have been found says it will disclose all historical documents it has.
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