Third Indigenous child's body to be exhumed in Quebec after 2021 law to help families
The body of a Cree child who attended a Quebec residential school and died in 1966 will be exhumed at her parents' request so that her remains can be buried in her community.
The disinterment request is the third since Quebec passed a law in 2021 intended to help Indigenous families learn more about the deaths and disappearances of their children in provincial health-care and social service institutions.
Her body is being exhumed almost 60 years after she died in a Quebec hospital and was buried in the cemetery near the residential school without the knowledge of her parents, who only learned of her death months later.
Awacak, a group helping Indigenous families learn about the fate of their children in Quebec's health-care system, says the family wants her remains to be buried with her relatives.
Last year, the remains of two Innu children were exhumed from a Quebec cemetery to help give closure to families who had long-standing questions about the identities of bodies they buried in 1970.
Awacak spokesperson Françoise Ruperthouse says DNA analysis has been completed for one of the exhumed boys but not the other.
She says the completed testing confirmed that the boy was in fact the child of one of the families that had raised questions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Rescuers race to free people trapped by Hurricane Helene after storm kills at least 40 in 4 states
Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping towering oaks like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
U.S. fines Air Canada over flights over prohibited Iraqi airspace
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada US$250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.
Ship, extra CAF members deployed near Lebanon in case of evacuation needs: defence minister
Defence Minister Bill Blair says there is a ship in place near Lebanon, as well as 150 deployed additional Canadian Armed Forces members prepared for a military-assisted departure of stranded Canadians, if more violence in the region requires it.
DEVELOPING Israeli airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut after another strike destroyed buildings
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.
Killer who stabbed victim 'at least 52 times' dies in B.C. prison
A 72-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for a brutal murder that happened in Chilliwack in 2016 has died, according to the Correctional Service of Canada.
P.E.I. shellfish festival gastrointestinal illness outbreak largest in province's history: health officer
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
Former military reservist sentenced for shotgun video calling Liberal MP a 'communist agent' for China
A former Canadian military reservist has been sentenced to house arrest after posting a video of himself firing a shotgun at a picture of a member of Parliament whom he accused of being a "communist agent" for China.
Canada booking seats on flights out of Lebanon as violence escalates
Global Affairs Canada began booking blocks of seats on the few remaining commercial flights leaving Lebanon on Friday as it issued another urgent plea for any Canadians in the country to leave immediately.
Family of man who died in incident involving Calgary police issues statement
The family of Jon Wells, a man who died in an incident involving Calgary police earlier this month, say they are seeking time to grieve their loss.