Up until election day September 20, CKDR News will be asking Kenora riding candidates the important questions you want answered.
Today we ask if you and/or your party support the call for an inquiry into the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
Liberal David Bruno says, “Liberal party is very committed to working with our Indigenous communities to do whatever it takes to uncover all of these very disturbing gravesites and children that we’re finding across the country.”
Bruno says, “That’s the most painful part. What happened? That’s what we want to know. And if there are people to be held accountable, 100% the government is behind that and I am too.”
He notes, “The Kenora riding has a quite a few of our Indigenous communities, the most in all of Ontario, and it is extremely important to all of us. So, yes, the government is committed to working with our Indigenous communities and to uncovering more of these sites.”
Janine Seymour of the NDP says, “I definitely support, as an inter-generational survivor, any healing that can occur and that we can help facilitate for those who have been directly impacted.”
She adds, “I would want to make sure that it’s done carefully with consideration and in the most respectful way to ensure no further harm occurs.
Seymour notes,”A lot of conversation to happen first. Because I am from Wauzhushk Onigum Nation and the dialogue needs to happen with the people who attended themselves and ensuring that is done in the most respectful way.”
Conservative Eric Melillo says supporting the communities and the families that have lost ones at these schools that are looking to locate the bodies and commemorate them is a main priority for his party.
“That’s something that our party supports and part of that as well we are committed to moving forward with Truth and Reconciliation calls to action 71 to 76 as quickly as possible. We want to take immediate action to address those.”
Remi Rheault of the Green Party says, “We really got to figure out what happened. Well, we know what happened. The history from our Elders and knowledge keepers is there, all we need to do is number one, listen to them and number two, continue to search.”
Rheault says an inquiry is a big part of his party’s platform.
“There are portions in there under reconciliation and justice portions that actually address this directly.”
People’s Party of Canada’s Craig Martin says, “We certainly want to keep looking into it and the Truth and Reconciliation has been doing a good job of that for years and we do continue to support that organization. As far as I know they haven’t had a lot of complaints.”
Martin adds, “The scope of that inquiry is already vast. It’s been going on since about 2016 is when it finished up to get to the results. They’ve been continuing their work ever since then.”
He adds, “It’s a broad scope and it also deals with health and treatment, and we’re definitely committed to continuing with that.”
(With Files From Sarah McCarthy)
