‘I didn’t get a response’: Residential school survivor gets apology from Catholic Church years later
It was a historic and emotional day for survivors of the residential school system in Canada.
Many have been waiting for an apology for years as they heal from the trauma and intergenerational effects of the horrific institution.
One survivor from Ottawa lived through one of the worst residential schools in all of Canada.
“The treatment of myself and other classmates was just horrific. There was no need for it,” said Evelyn Korkmaz, who is a survivor of St. Anne’s Residential School in Fort Albany.
Korkmaz was taken to St. Anne’s at 10 years old and stayed for four years.
In 2019, the Ottawa resident travelled to Rome, Italy to demand an apology from the Pope for the Catholic Church’s involvement in Canada’s dark history.
“I didn’t get a response,” she said. “I also asked him in the same press conference to release our school documents. These documents would also reveal the how, the why and the where our children are buried in these school grounds across Canada.”
That apology came on Friday, three years later.
“It’s a mention of wrong doing on the church’s part,” said Korkmaz. “I’m looking forward to him coming to Canada on July 26 this year to apologize on Indigenous land.”
“That apology, come here and say it. Come here and stand before the people that suffered,” said Mike Metatawabin, who is also a survivor of St. Anne’s residential school.
Ottawa’s Aboriginal Coalition is also calling for the Catholic Church to release the school documents.
“We all know actions speak louder than words. We are still waiting for the church to act in good faith in fulfilling its obligations under the 2006 Indian residential school settlement agreement,” said Stephanie Mikki Adams, of the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition.
Korkmaz says survivors are still wanting compensation for the loss of language, culture, and spiritual belief, which was stripped of them at the schools.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.