The Anglican Diocese of Kootenay administers parishes under its jurisdiction. Created in 1900 from a division of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, it was one of several diocese operating as part of the General Synod for the Anglican Church in Canada. While the Diocese had no direct connection to residential schools, several women auxiliary groups supported Indigenous students to attend residential school.
During the 1990s, the public became more aware of the impacts of residential schools. This led to an increase in litigation against the Government of Canada, which culminated in the creation of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) in 2006. IRSSA outlined the process by which residential school litigation was carried out in addition to creating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The Anglican Church of Canada was a signatory of this agreement and was made to contribute $15,687,188 towards abuse claims and healing programs. Anglican leaders also worked extensively with the TRC to promote reconciliation and explain the Anglican’s role in the Residential School System.
1902-2009