(M’Chigeeng First Nation, ON – August 10, 2021) Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare issued the following statement welcoming the additional $321 million in support for Indigenous communities to respond to and heal from the ongoing impacts of residential schools:

“Today, the Government of Canada announced $321 million in additional support for Indigenous-led, survivor-centric, and culturally informed initiatives to help Indigenous communities respond to and heal from the ongoing impacts of residential schools, including the creation of a special interlocutor and a National Advisory Council,” said Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare.

“I welcome today’s announcement, and I would like to thank the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, for your collective commitment in addressing the tragic history of residential schools and supporting survivors, families, and communities.”

The announcement indicates the following funding allocations:

  • $83 million committed by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), in addition to the $27.1 million from the last budget, to fund searches of burial sites and commemorate the children who died at residential schools.
  • $107.3 million in additional funding to provide essential mental health, culture and emotional services to support healing from intergenerational trauma.
  • $100 million over two years to help Indigenous communities manage residential school buildings, whether those plans include demolition, rehabilitation or the construction of new facilities.
  • $20 million for a national monument in Ottawa that honours the survivors and all the children who were lost.

“Today’s announcement is the first step toward justice and healing for survivors and all the children taken from their families and communities. With the creation of a Special Interlocutor and a National Advisory Council, it is essential that residential school investigations remain First Nations-led processes and that families and communities are treated with dignity and respect. Furthermore, funding allocations must be guided by First Nations leadership and government funded programming must abide by First Nation jurisdiction and processes.

This is the beginning of a precarious journey which will require partnership, transparency, and respect. I look forward to continuing this important work alongside the federal government to honour survivors and all the children taken from their families and communities.”

Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare

For immediate assistance to those who may need it, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419.

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The Chiefs of Ontario supports all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @ChiefsOfOntario.

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Genna Benson
Communications Officer
Policy and Communications Sector
Chiefs of Ontario
Telephone: 416-523-4020
Email: Genna.Benson@coo.org.