The Mississauga Food Bank is holding the Indigenous community in our hearts as we grieve the lives of the 215 children whose remains were recently found in a mass, unmarked grave in Kamloops, BC at a former residential school.

From the 1830s until 1996, over 150,000 children were forcibly removed from their families and into residential schools. Over 3,000 children died while at these residential schools, with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission stating that the true number could be upwards of 6,000. 

We stand in solidarity with our Indigenous neighbours to honour the lives lost, and every single child who was forced into the residential school system. We acknowledge that there is still reconciliation work for us to do to end the systematic oppression and discrimination against the Indigenous community. We stand alongside you, and we will not forget.

If you are a residential school survivor or intergenerational survivor who needs support, visit the Indian Residential School Survivors Society or call 1-800-721-0066.

Artwork by Jeff K. Ward*