The last residential school in B.C. closed in 1983; its final structure has now come down.
A significant moment of remembrance and healing took place this week on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The last standing building of the Christie Indian Residential School has been demolished.
Christie opened in 1900, first on Meares Island near Tofino and later on Flores Island. Operated by the Catholic Church under Canada’s federal residential school system, its purpose was to separate Indigenous children from their families and suppress their languages and traditions.
For over eight decades, children from Nuu-chah-nulth and neighbouring Nations were forced to attend the institution. Many never returned home, and generations continue to carry the trauma it caused.
Survivors and families gathered to witness the demolition, offering prayers and songs to honour those who suffered and those who never made it back.
While the physical building is gone, the legacy of Christie remains — a reminder of Canada’s colonial past and the ongoing journey toward truth, justice, and reconciliation.
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