Indigenous group begins 275-km 'healing march' to Quebec City ahead of Pope's arrival
An Indigenous group is on a "healing march" from Northern Quebec to the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City -- a 275-kilometre journey -- to witness Pope Francis' visit next week.
Marchers began their journey Thursday from the site of the former Pointe-Bleu residential school, north of Roberval, Que. They'll travel 45 kilometres a day for six days.
The march was organized by Paumun Meshkenu, an organization that promotes reconciliation.
"[My mother] suffered a lot," said Dr. Stanley Vollant, the group's founder and the son of a residential school survivor.
"I still feel the suffering from those years."
Participants say the march is about being close with others who feel the same pain as they await the pope's visit, where he is expected to offer an apology for the Roman Catholic Church's role in Canada's residential school system.
They'll arrive in Wendake on July 26, and on the Plains of Abraham the following day, where they'll see the Pope.
"We hope that the Pope and the church are going to see our message: that we are still here and that they have to understand us," said marcher Jay Launiere-Mathias.
The public is invited to join the march from Wendake to Quebec City on the morning of July 27.
About 16,000 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are expected to gather at the Plains of Abraham to watch Pope Francis' address.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.