Regina considering heritage status for residential school cemetery

The city of Regina may soon be taking steps to recognize a cemetery at the site of the old Regina Indian Industrial School.

On Wednesday night, the city's planning commission unanimously recommended that the cemetery sitelocated close to the intersection of Dewdney Avenue and Pinkie Road, on Regina's western edgereceive heritage designation.

"There's times where youfeel like you're talking to a wall and now I feel like people are responding back and it gives me a lot of hope," saidJanineWindolphof theRIISCommemorative Association.

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In 2012, an engineering firm surveyed the 680-square-metre area and found there were a minimum of 22 grave sites and possibly 40.

Buried in the cemetery are the bodies of children from First Nations andMtiscommunities, as well as the children of the school's first principal.

Advocates have been calling for the site to be designated a heritage property for several years.

In 2014, the city recommended to not seek protective status for the site. Now, the recommendation has changed in favour of officially recognizing the site.

A report prepared by city administration said the site has heritage value as "asacred space to honour the unknown buried children," and also as a place of "reconciliation and healing".

Windolphsaid she hopes the cemetery's heritage designation willgobeyond the city's recognition with provincial and national recognition too.

"Going to a federal level just acknowledges the general residential school legacy and how these sites arescattered across Canadaand hopefully start a ripple effect that will lead to a larger healing journey for all Canadians," she added.

The Regina Indian Industrial School operated between 1891 and 1910. It was then converted to a municipal jail and, later, it was used as a home for delinquent youths. It burned down in 1948.

The property has been in private hands since the 1980s.

If the heritage status is approved, the private owners of the property will be expected to maintain the cemetery according to the Cemeteries Act.

Those requirements include cutting vegetation on the site and mowing along the fence lines and roadways once per month during the growing season.

Community consultation

The report says city administration consulted with more than 40 First Nations communities as well as heritage advocacy groups.

It says 21 letters of support were received in favour of the designation, including from the Sakimay First Nations, First Presbyterian Church and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

The city is accepting written letters responses on the application until Sept. 22.

The application still needs approval from city council at the Sept. 26 meeting before anything is finalized.