St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino near Cranbrook, B.C., the site of the former residential school. (Supplied by St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino)

By David Opinko

First Nation says remains of 182 found by former residential school near Cranbrook

Jun 30, 2021 | 11:41 AM

CRANBROOK, B.C. – The Lower Kootenay Band (LKB) in southeastern B.C. says a search using ground-penetrating radar has found 182 human remains in unmarked graves at a site close to a former residential school.

The First Nation says they are in the very early stages of receiving information from a ground-penetrating radar search.

The LKB is one of several members of the Ktunaxa Nation. They estimate that as many as 100 children in the band attended the school, which was operated by the Roman Catholic Church between 1912 and the early 1970s.

Some of the findings had the human remains buried in shallow graves only three-to-four feet deep.

“It is believed that the remains of these 182 souls are from the member Bands of the Ktunaxa nation, neighbouring First Nation communities, & the community of aqam,” reads a statement from the LKB.

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“The Lower Kootenay Band has living survivors of the St. Eugene Mission School & requests that the general public respect our privacy at this time.”

Following the closure of the residential school, it was transformed into the St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino.