'COMPLETELY OUTRAGEOUS': Widdowson, prominent figures demand transparency after Ottawa blocks Kamloops grave reports

The federal government’s recent decision to withhold all reports related to the federally funded search for the graves of 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School has ignited widespread criticism across all sectors, with politicians, journalists, and indigenous leaders weighing in.Blacklock’s Reporter originally broke the story that the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations refused an Access to Information request for the documents, citing their status as confidential third-party information submitted by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation.That move now effectively shuts down public scrutiny of the $12.1 million project funded by taxpayers, intended for the “exhumation of remains” and forensic DNA testing.It was first announced in 2021 that ground-penetrating radar had identified what it described as the graves of 215 children buried in an orchard near the former residential school.No human remains have ever been recovered from the site..Feds lock away records tied to Kamloops residential school grave claims .Dr. Frances Widdowson — a former Mount Royal University professor well-known for her work on the topic — told the Western Standard that the decision was “completely outrageous.”“I would have loved to see the documents and what they’ve actually done. Now it looks like they’re going to stop people from being able to see that,” she said.Asked if she felt vindicated by the government’s decision to hide the findings, Widdowson replied, “I do, I definitely do. You can sort of sense that the tide is turning a little bit now on the issue.”Her sentiment was echoed by others critical of the government’s lack of transparency with taxpayers..John Rustad, former leader of the BC Conservatives, emphasized that the money used in the operation wasn’t private donations.“This was taxpayer money, issued with a requirement for regular activity reports,” Rustad stated.“Canadians have a right to know what was done, what was found, and what wasn’t. If the facts are solid, then release the records. If mistakes were made, then own them. A democracy does not seal evidence and ask citizens to ‘just trust us.’”.Dallas Brodie of OneBC also called for accountability, saying, “If you take public money, all questions are on the table. If you don’t want questions, don’t take public money and raise your money privately. Simple.""The $12.1 million needs to be refunded to the taxpayers of Canada, and the police need to investigate.”.National Post columnist Jamie Sarkonak suggested the sealing of the documents confirmed many people's doubts over the original claims. “I take this as confirmation that there were no actual graves," she quipped. .Aaron Pete, chief of Chawathil First Nation, also chimed in, warning that the government’s approach undermines their purported attempts at reconciliation.“This is not the path to truth or reconciliation,” he said.In August, an Angus Reid Institute survey on the Kamloops controversy found that 63% of respondents said further evidence — including possible exhumations — was necessary to confirm the presence of unmarked graves.Among indigenous respondents, 56% agreed that additional evidence would help verify the discoveries.

'COMPLETELY OUTRAGEOUS': Widdowson, prominent figures demand transparency after Ottawa blocks Kamloops grave reports

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