Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre

Official Opening

Professor Santa J. Ono, President and Vice-Chancellor invites you to attend a ceremony to witness the official opening of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre and a Statement of Apology for UBC’s involvement in the system that supported the operation of the Indian Residential Schools.

Monday, April 9, 2018
10:00 a.m.
Koerner Plaza, 1958 Main Mall, UBC Vancouver Campus

Opening ceremony will take place outdoors, please dress appropriately.

Download the formal invitation (PDF).

View the Statement of Apology.

This website will be regularly updated with more information.

Following a conference held in March, 2011 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada on institutions of memory, the UBC First Nations House of Learning (FNHL) and Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) began discussions about an institution of memory addressing the experiences of survivors of the Indian residential schools on the west coast.

When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada announced its call to establish a National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to hold its records, UBC supported the bid of the University of Manitoba to become the national centre with the understanding that UBC would establish an affiliated, independent west coast centre.

At the TRC’s National Event in Vancouver on September 2013, UBC President Stephen Toope publicly confirmed this intention, and in its June 2016 meeting, the UBC Board of Governors approved the construction of Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC). That construction is now complete, and the IRSHDC will open to the public on April 9, 2018.

The Centre will be a place for former students and survivors of the Indian residential schools and their communities to access their records, for students and the public to explore the vast archival holdings and learn about the history and legacy of the schools through interactive technology, and for university and community members to meet in focused discussions about the uses of history and other collaborative projects.

The university directed generous, undesignated donations to fully fund this project.

Read a message from The Honourable Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.

Webcast and Facebook Live Broadcast

The ceremony will be webcast live on this webpage and on the UBC Facebook Page for those who can’t join in person.

Students, faculty and staff on UBC’s Okanagan campus can watch the live event webcast at the University Centre Ballroom (UNC200).

Tours

Tours of the Centre will be available throughout the day, with first priority reserved for Indian residential school survivors and their families.

Support Services

Support services, especially for survivors and their family, will be available on site. Please contact a volunteer or staff member for locations.

Facebook Live Discussion

At 1:30 p.m. on April 9, First Nations & Indigenous Studies professor Sheryl Lightfoot will moderate a Facebook Live discussion with Linc Kesler and Santa Ono about the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre and the Statement of Apology for UBC’s involvement in the system that supported the operation of the Indian Residential Schools. The discussion will also be broadcast on CiTR.

Participate in the discussion on the UBC Facebook Page.

Last updated: April 19, 2018

Event Map

Download a map of the event site (PDF).

Transportation

Public Transportation

Please visit Translink for route information and schedules. Some UBC bus stops have changed due to construction. Learn more about bus stop locations and construction/detour routes.

An accessibility shuttle will run from the end of Student Union Boulevard and the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre to the event site for transit users. See the map of the event site (PDF) for more information.

Parking

Please use the Rose Garden Parkade at 6278 NW Marine Drive for the event. There is a special $5.00 rate for all day parking that will be available for purchase up to 11:00 a.m. on the day of the event.

Accessible parking is available on the 5th floor of the Rose Garden Parkade. The elevator will take you to the Flag Pole plaza where a shuttle service pick up is located.

An accessible drop off area is located in front of the Chan Centre (Memorial Road).

There is no available street parking near the event area. All vehicles parked on adjacent streets will be towed at their expense.

Accessibility Shuttle

An accessibility shuttle will be running from the Rose Garden Parkade, the end of Student Union Boulevard and the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre to the event site. The shuttle will be available from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. before the event and 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. following the event. See the map of the event site (PDF) for more information.

Charter or Private Bus Transportation

Passenger drop off area is located in front of the Chan Centre (Memorial Drive). Charter or Private bus parking is available in the UBC Botanical Garden parking lot (6804 SW Marine Drive).

Photography

UBC photographers will be taking photographs at this event. Unless you indicate otherwise, you are deemed to consent to the publication of your photos. Your photographs are personal information and are collected under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). If you do not wish to be photographed, please let the photographer know.

Additional Exhibits / Places of Interest

  • Indian Residential Schools Exhibit – Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Level 2 Foyer
  • Legacy of Hope Exhibit – Koerner Library
  • Reconciliation Pole – Agronomy and Main Mall
  • Xwi7xwa Library – 1985 West Mall – at the Longhouse
  • Musqueam qeqən – University Boulevard and East Mall
  • Museum of Anthropology – 6393 NW Marine Drive, open 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

More Information

For more information about the Centre, please visit: http://aboriginal.ubc.ca/indian-residential-school-centre/