Coroner’s probe finds 220 additional deaths at Ontario residential schools
An Ontario coroner’s investigation has uncovered shocking details of deaths at Indian residential schools in the province, with 220 previously unknown deaths now confirmed. These deaths were not documented by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission or the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), raising the total number of known deaths in Ontario to 656.
The Residential Schools Death Investigation Team, led by Mark Mackisoc, a sergeant with the Ontario Provincial Police, conducted a thorough analysis of public and protected records to confirm the additional deaths. The team negotiated access to various records, including police investigation files from criminal probes at three institutions. The investigations revealed tragic and horrific deaths that would likely be considered criminal negligence today.
One such example is the death of 13-year-old Effie Smith at the Mohawk Institute in 1936. She died when faulty playground equipment broke, causing fatal injuries. Another tragic incident occurred at the Mount Elgin Indian Residential School in 1939 when four-year-old Courtland (Cody) Claus fell from a window due to a missing screen, resulting in his death.
At St. Joseph’s Training School, three children lost their lives in a tank cleaning accident that resulted in an explosion. These incidents highlight the dangerous and neglectful conditions that children faced at these institutions.
Laura Arndt, from the Survivors’ Secretariat, expressed that the coroner’s findings are significant but not surprising. The organization has documented 101 deaths at the Mohawk Institute, more than double the number listed by the NCTR. Chief Coroner Dr. Dirk Huyer emphasized the importance of providing answers to families and communities affected by these tragedies.
The NCTR has endorsed the coroner’s work, acknowledging the need for further research to understand the full extent of missing and disappeared children. The memorial register maintained by the NCTR includes names of children who died within one year of attending a residential school. The organization continues to add names based on survivor statements, historical documents, and new information from community researchers.
The discoveries made by the coroner’s investigation shed light on the dark legacy of residential schools in Ontario and underscore the importance of honoring and remembering the children who lost their lives in these institutions. The NCTR encourages survivors and those affected to seek support through the Indian Residential School Crisis Line and the Hope for Wellness hotline, which provide mental health counseling and crisis support services 24/7.
