The Survivors' Flag hangs to honour Indigenous Peoples who were forced to attend residential schools, on the grounds of the legislature in Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. A Fraser Valley First Nation is expected to provide an update on its work into missing children and unmarked burials at three former residential school sites. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
MISSION, BRITISH COLUMBIA – An investigation into unmarked graves and missing children by British Columbia’s Sto:lo Nation has revealed at least 158 deaths, most of them at a hospital.
Researchers with the nation say archival documents from three residential schools and a First Nation hospital show most of the children reportedly died of disease, some of accidents, while other causes of death are unknown.
The documents came from St. Mary’s residential school, the Coqualeetza Industrial Institute, and the Coqualeetza hospital, all in the Fraser Valley, and the All Hallows School in Yale, B.C.
Sto:lo researcher Amber Kostuchenko says they are still gathering information and estimate they have about half of the 70,000 documents they need to account for what happened to their relatives in the institutions.
Of the 158 deaths dating back to the opening of St. Mary’s in 1863, 96 occurred at the hospital, most of them from tuberculosis or other diseases.
Lead researcher David Schaepe says survivors told them of many atrocities committed against children, including sexual assaults, starvation and secret burials.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2023.
