From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy 

Canada Needs a Public Inquiry into the “Kamloops Graves Hoax”

Call for a public inquiry is a step towards uncovering the truth and ensuring such a national scandal never happens again

WINNIPEG, June 28, 2024 – The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is urgently calling for a public inquiry into what has become known as the “Kamloops Graves Hoax.” The May 27, 2021, claim by the Kamloops Indian Band regarding the discovery of “human remains” in the apple orchard area of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School caused national hysteria and moral panic, both domestically and internationally. However, recent admissions have revealed these claims to be false.

In a press release issued three years after the sensational claims, Chief Roseanne Casimir of the Kamloops Indian Band finally admitted that there were no “human remains,” “bodies,” “graves,” or “mass graves” found at Kamloops. What was initially reported as grave sites turned out to be mere soil anomalies, which could easily be attributed to tree roots, rocks, or remnants of prior excavations. Notably, a 1924 excavation in the same area was likely the source of the detected soil disturbances.

The 2021 claims triggered a wave of national and international reactions, including lowered flags, burned churches, and widespread media coverage. These events also prompted the ailing Pope to visit Canada, led MPs to condemn their own country as genocidal, and resulted in the enactment of costly legislation. The Canadian government allocated millions of dollars towards the search for “missing children,” who, as it turns out, never existed. The entire episode is a blemish on Canada’s history, highlighting the need for a thorough public inquiry.

Chief Casimir stated that the initial claims were based on a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) report prepared by Sarah Beaulieu, a young anthropologist from the University of the Fraser Valley. However, it is widely known that GPR can only detect soil anomalies, not graves or human remains. The actual content of Beaulieu’s report remains undisclosed, as the Kamloops Indian Band has refused to release it despite initially promising to do so. This raises serious questions about the veracity of their claims and the possibility that the band knew the information was false.

The Kamloops Indian Band applied for and received $8,000,000 from the federal government based on their false claims. Neither the band nor the federal government has provided details about the representations made to secure these funds or how the money was spent, especially given that no excavation has taken place.

The refusal of the Kamloops Indian Band to release the GPR report, coupled with the federal government’s silence on the matter, indicates a need for a thorough investigation. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will not investigate unless requested by the Kamloops Band. This leaves the Canadian public in the dark about how and why millions of taxpayer dollars were spent based on a false premise.

The claims made on May 27, 2021, have caused significant disruption in Canada, damaged the nation’s reputation, and led to misleading narratives being taught in schools. It is crucial to understand how these false claims were propagated and why. A public inquiry is essential to provide clarity and accountability and to restore public trust.

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy calls for this inquiry to ensure transparency and address the grave mistakes that have been made. Canadians deserve to know the truth and to hold accountable those who have misled the nation.

About the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is an independent, non-partisan think tank that conducts research and analysis on a wide range of public policy issues. Committed to promoting economic freedom, individual liberty, and responsible governance, the Centre aims to contribute to informed public debates and shape effective policies that benefit Canadians.

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

According to a memo from the Department of Natural Resources, the plan was a marketing ploy designed to inspire commitment and participation, but only about a fifth of the trees will be in the ground by 2031.

A 2019 environmentally ideologically charged scheme by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to plant two “billion trees” in a 10-year span was a scheme, according to a memo.

As noted by Blacklock’s Reporter, the memo from Canada’s Department of Natural Resources admitted that the Trudeau cabinet’s plan from 2019 for “two billion trees” was nothing more than a marketing slogan.

The memo, dated February 15, titled Two Billion Trees Questions and Answers, noted that the government “sought a name that would inspire that commitment and participation,” and that “so far that has worked.”

Trudeau’s tree planting scheme is well behind schedule, and the reality is by 2031 only about a fifth of two billion trees will even be planted.

The memo stated that as of today the government has “signed or is in the process of negotiating agreements that will result in 393 million trees planted by 2031.”

“We are actively engaged with all partners on how to move ahead,” it reads.

The department even acknowledged that when it comes to tree planting, it is an overly complex process, as trees cannot just be planted anywhere. “Different species and sizes of trees are required in different planting projects across the country,” it said.

While the government claims that it will plant two billion trees, there has been no timeline for when this will be achieved. The process of “planting a tree takes several years and includes steps like collecting seeds, increasing nursery capacity, growing seedlings until they are large enough to be planted in the ground and identifying available land.”

The Trudeau government had said that the tree-planting scheme would cost $3.16 billion overall. However, a 2021 report Financial Support for Planting Two Billion Trees noted that the actual costs are more than double, or $5.94 billion.

Many have pointed out that Canada already has 318 billion trees and the number is growing thanks to forestry companies who plant 600 million trees every year, which is well more than they cut down.