The remaining buildings of a former Vancouver Island residential school were demolished Thursday as survivors and family members looked on.
The Christie Residential School originally opened in 1900 on Meares Island before being relocated to Tofino, B.C., in 1971.
It stayed in operation until 1983 and was one of the last operating residential schools in British Columbia.
Returning to the school site was “scary,” said survivor Bruce Lucas, but ultimately “good for the soul.”
Before heavy machinery took over, survivors threw rocks and took crowbars to portions of the school. Lucas was invited to be the first to start tearing down the buildings using an excavator.
The last remaining buildings of the Christie Residential School on Meares Island near Tofino, B.C., were demolished in a ceremony Thursday, attended by survivors who said they hope the destruction of the building will help heal old wounds.
“I remember my first day there,” he said after the ceremony. “I’m 66 now, so about 60 years ago — how frightened I was.”
While he said there were good experiences playing sports, the overall experience was traumatizing, with “a lot of bad memories” from which he is still recovering.
“They really terrorized us,” he said.
Over the years, various portions of the school have been destroyed, moved or repurposed, but a trio of outbuildings remained in place at the original Meares Island site.
The Ahousaht Residential School Research team provided former students with free ferry transport to visit the buildings and witness their demolition, along with a healing ceremony and support.
“It [was] a painful place to grow up. I was just going on to seven years old, and I spent eight years here,” former student Thomas Rush told CHEK News, which attended the ceremony.
“It’s good to see them tear it. I had to be here today to get closure. I’m hoping that I will today.”
According to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the school was funded by the Government of Canada and operated by various Roman Catholic orders over the years, under multiple names including the Kakawis Indian School, Tofino Hotel and Christie Indian Industrial School.
The centre has also documented the names of 46 children who died at the facility.
In 2021, the federally appointed Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation said it had documented the deaths of more than 4,100 children while attending residential schools, most due to malnourishment or disease.
That work had come as part of the Truth and Reconciliation report into residential schools, which entailed collecting six years of testimony from more than 6,000 attendees across the country.
It also heard testimony that many of the children who attended the schools were physically, sexually or psychologically abused, ultimately characterizing the system as a “cultural genocide.”
Those who attended the Christie Residential School were taken from across the northern part of Vancouver Island.
The demolition is still underway and expected to last several days.
Elder Cliff Atleo says it will be an important step towards recovery.
“It’s about healing, it’s about cleansing the property. So that it can be fully restored to how it was,” he said.
Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools, and those who are triggered by the latest reports.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
