Content Warning: residential schools, unmarked graves, abuse
The offices of Arvay Finlay LLP will be closed on September 30th to honour survivors of the residential school system and to affirm our commitment to supporting justice for Indigenous communities against historic and ongoing colonial harms.
The legacy of residential schools is close in time and space to all of us. You can view a map of residential schools located near you here.
Kuper Island Residential School, located on Penelakut Island, was the closest location to our Victoria office. Survivors of Kuper Island have likened the school to Alcatraz and shared stories of children fleeing into the ocean to their death in an attempt to escape the abuse and return home. Over 160 unmarked graves were identified by the Penelakut Tribe this year. Kuper Island operated from 1889 to 1975.
St. Paul’s Residential School was located next to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh community of Eslhá7an in what is now known as North Vancouver, making it the nearest location to our Vancouver office. Students faced disease epidemics, underfeeding, and overcrowding, and the building was eventually condemned. This summer, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation) and the səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) announced a collaborative investigation into the former St. Paul’s site in an effort to bring any unidentified children who died there to rest. St. Paul’s operated from 1899 to 1959.
Residential schools were part of a larger colonial strategy designed to dismantle Indigenous communities, nations, families, and laws and to displace Indigenous peoples from their territories. The courts have played a significant role in facilitating and justifying these colonial objectives, and this legacy lives on today. As a law firm practicing in Canadian law, our efforts towards reconciliation must ultimately support the resurgence of Indigenous legal orders and nationhood. We are committed to supporting Indigenous leadership in this aim in the many forms it takes.
We have been privileged to work with Indigenous nations in advancing justice in Canadian courts. The value of these cases to the nations who have fought long and hard for them cannot be understated. However, the real victories come from the work of communities, not the courts. These communities, tied together by bonds of law, land, family, and language, are the very structures residential schools sought to destroy. We honour Indigenous nations and survivors for their tireless work to bring justice and healing to their communities, and mourn for the indescribable loss bourn by generations of Indigenous children and families at the hands of the residential school system.
In furtherance of our obligation to Truth and Reconciliation, Arvay Finlay is committed to creating, communicating and implementing a Reconciliation Action Plan, and will also be making a donation in support of survivors of Residential Schools and the communities and families impacted by them.
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Reports on the history and impact residential schools can be found here.
Should you need support, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society Crisis Line offers 24 hour support for survivors and family of survivors and can be reached toll-free at 1-866-925-4419.