On Friday, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure unveiled a residential school Stop of Interest sign in Kamloops.
The sign acknowledges “the horrific impact the Kamloops Indian Residential School has had on several generations of Secwépemc children and families.
“The Stop of Interest sign is significant in acknowledging and honouring the residential school and day scholar survivors,” said Chief Rosanne Casimir.
The Kamloops Indian Residential School opened in 1893 and stayed open until 1977, where thousands of Secwepémc children were “forcibly taken from their families and prohibited from practicing their language, culture and traditions”.
Children at this school were between the ages of 4 and 15.
Here are some facts about Stop of Interest signs in BC:
- British Columbia’s Stop of Interest signs were first displayed on provincial routes in 1958 to share stories of the people, places and events that helped shape B.C.’s history.
- In 2016, the B.C. government launched an initiative to rejuvenate the existing signs and invited the public to submit ideas for new signs, resulting in over 500 nominations.
- Nineteen new signs have been installed since 2016. The ministry will continue adding new signs as consultation is completed, to ensure everyone can continue to stop and learn about B.C. as they travel on provincial routes.
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