Update on ongoing investigation at former Kamloops Indian Residential School

Press Release

Kamloops, British Columbia (Feb 17, 2026) ~ Today’s update offers the best current understanding and most up-to-date information of our ongoing investigation into potential burials at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Background

The Kamloops Indian Residential School was Canada’s largest such institution. It operated for 88 years (1890 to 1978). At its peak, annual enrolment was 500+ children from 38 Indigenous Nations living in 119 communities in British Columbia.

Preliminary Investigation

In May 2021, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) announced preliminary findings from an independent, third-party investigation that used ground-penetrating technology to search the orchard (Sacred Site) and other areas of the former residential school. Our announcement was guided by the independent expert’s findings, facts and observations together with oral histories shared by residential school survivors.

Multi-Pronged Investigation

From 2021 to 2025, we continued working with independent third-party experts from across Canada who used unique investigative technologies and methods to study the areas in question:

1. Ground-Penetrating Radar: A high-tech tool that acts as an underground camera.
2. LiDAR Scanner: A high-tech laser scanner that emits rapid, invisible laser pulses to measure distances and create precise, 3D representations of objects and environments.
3. Historic Human Remains Detection Dogs: Three dog teams searched independently. They are certified in Historic Human Remains Detection by the North American Police Work Dog Association.

Concurrently and importantly, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc continues to pursue access to archival records from the provincial and federal governments and the Roman Catholic Church of Canada. Analyzing such records is critical for several reasons, including determining to which of the 38 Indigenous nations these children belonged. We also have a responsibility to consult with the Nations as part of this work.

Update

Our independent, multipronged investigation has been active and ongoing since 2021. As with any investigation, circumstances evolve as assumptions are tested, data is verified, and new information emerges. While the investigation has been more complex than we initially thought, we are making progress and will continue adapting our methodologies and information as it advances.

Here are the current relevant findings by independent investigators:

• The data and findings from all three unique investigative methods overlap in several areas, indicating those zones should now be the primary focus. Additionally, the radar and laser scanner ruled out the presence of utility lines and clay tiles in those locations.
• Signatures that resemble burials were found in some areas.
• Some areas were ruled out as burials, while others cannot confidently be ruled out.

While we want facts and answers as quickly as possible, we face significant challenges in accessing government and Catholic Church records for the 88-year period the school operated.

Obtaining 88 years of government records and sacramental records from the Roman Catholic Church of Canada is critical to confirming the identities of the children who attended the school and those who never returned home, along with the community to which they belonged. Our progress has been hindered by government restrictions on certain records and slow response.

Indigenous communities place deep importance on honouring and protecting ancestral remains, and with 38 affected Nations involved, we must seek consensus on any future outcome.

We have a responsibility to work with and honour all 38 Indigenous nations in 119 communities across BC. Each Nation upholds its own cultural and spiritual protocols for how ancestral remains must be treated. We also understand that full consensus may never be achieved. Possible future outcomes could be to preserve the orchard as a Sacred Site – a place of memory and healing – or excavate. Any remains would need to be repatriated to their home communities, an extremely complex and sensitive process involving extensive consultation with the Nations, DNA analysis, forensic expertise, and adherence to appropriate laws and protocols.

No interviews will be granted at this time, and Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc will continue to provide updates as the investigation develops.

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Kukwstsétsemc,

Kúkwpi7 Rosanne Casimir

On behalf of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc

NT5