Monument will remember students who attended residential school in northern Alberta hamlet

A monument will be built in a small northern Alberta community to remember the children who attended a residential school that operated there for 100 years.

Holy Angels Residential School was founded in 1874 in Fort Chipewyan, a hamlet about 300 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. The school closed in 1974 and has been subsequently demolished.

The motion to erect the monument passed unanimously at the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo's council meeting on Tuesday evening. 

Its location, design and scope will be decided in collaboration with the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation, and other community partners, the municipality said. 

"Through a respectful, inclusive engagement, this project will ensure the monument reflects the voices, stories and traditions of those most affected," said Dennis Fraser, Wood Buffalo's director of Indigenous and rural relations. 

Important for remembrance, elder says

Elder Lorraine Albert, a Dene woman who lives in Fort McMurray, said the memorial will ensure future generations know what happened.

Currently, there is nothing to mark the existence of the former residential school in Fort Chipewyan is devoid of reminders of its existence, Albert said. 

"The church has been burned down. The Father's house has been burned," she said. 

"If there was nothing there 100 years from now, nobody would know what was there."  

According to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the school moved to a new building in 1881.

Albert became emotional as she recalled her family's experiences with residential schools. Her partner, who lives in Fort Chipewyan, and her deceased mother are both residential school survivors. 

She said her partner only now is able to talk about his experiences at residential school. 

"Once his generation is gone, the younger generation doesn't understand or know what happened because a lot of our people can't talk about what happened in residential schools." 

89 children died there

Holy Angels is one of 25 residential school locations in Alberta as recognized in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

The deaths of 89 children who attended the school between 1880 and 1953 have been confirmed by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Fraser said the memorial is a step toward acknowledging events of the past as part of the municipality's commitment to support truth, justice and reconciliation efforts.

The monument will "recognize the pain and loss experienced by Indigenous families and community, provide a space for reflection, healing and reconciliation, and ensure future generation earn about this important history," Fraser said.

In 2022, community leaders announced the site of the school would be searched for unmarked burials. 

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available to provide support for survivors and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour service at 1-866-925-4419.

Mental health counselling and crisis support are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat.