County of Essex Lowers Flags to Honour Residential School Victims

The County of Essex today lowered flags at all its facilities to honour the 215 children whose remains were found on the site of a former residential school in British Columbia.

The flags at County facilities – including Essex-Windsor EMS bases and Sun Parlor Home in Leamington – will remain at half-mast for 215 hours.

“Our thoughts are with the family members and communities of these children whose lives were so tragically lost,” said Warden Gary McNamara. “Lowering flags at County of Essex facilities is our gesture of solidarity with Indigenous Peoples across Canada. They have suffered the pain of the shameful legacy of the residential school system and the damage it inflicted.”

The 215 bodies were discovered earlier this month at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Ground-penetrating radar was used to locate them. The abuse and neglect of Indigenous children at residential schools is described in detail in the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was released five years ago. It says at least 3,200 of those children died.

The number for the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is 1-866-925-4419.