By Clare Marie Merkowsky
Shortly after being fact-checked on X, CityNews removed their post and edited their article.
Specifically, the outlet changed the headline to read “suspected unmarked graves” rather than “unmarked graves.”
Canadian mainstream media outlet CityNews has deleted a social media post claiming 215 “unmarked graves” were found at the Kamloops Indian Residential School three years ago after X’s “Community Notes” feature reminded users that no bodies have actually been found.
In a May 27 article, CityNews recalled the supposed “discovery” of 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School, only to have their claim corrected by the “Community Notes” feature on X, formerly Twitter, which adds user-inputted context underneath posts to clarify ambiguous or misleading information.
“May 27 marks a grim anniversary,” the outlet originally wrote in a post captured by the Counter Signal. “Three years ago, Monday, hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at a residential school site in Kamloops.”
However, those on social media were quick to point out that no bodies have actually been discovered on the former school’s grounds, despite millions being spent by the federal government in search of said bodies.
Indeed, while mainstream media and Liberals continue to claim that hundreds of children were killed and secretly buried at the schools, not one body of a former student has been discovered.
In light of this reality, X added a “Community Note” to the post clarifying that “No remains have been recovered nor have any graves been identified at this time.”
Shortly after being fact-checked on X, CityNews removed their post and edited their article.
Specifically, the outlet changed the headline to read “suspected unmarked graves” rather than “unmarked graves.”
As The Counter Signal pointed out, the original version of the article ironically criticized those who believe and spread “misinformation” regarding residential schools, presumably referring to those who refuse to go along with the mass graves narrative due to the complete lack of physical evidence.
In a seeming effort to rectify their own misinformation, an editor’s note was added to the initial piece, which reads:
An initial version of this article stated the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc initial findings, which the Nation said 215 graves had been discovered at the Kamloops Residential School.
Since May 2021, the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc have revised this position, stating that 200 ‘anomalies’ and suspected burial sites have been located using ground penetrating radar.
Even in the clarifying statement, the outlet stopped short of explaining that not a single body has been found at the site.
The Counter Signal also noticed that the outlet swapped out the “related articles” that appeared in the initial piece.
According to screenshots of the first article, related articles featured had headlines that read: “Discovery of children’s remains at former Kamloops school an ‘unthinkable loss’” and “Remains of 215 children found at former residential school.”
Now, the headlines read: “Vancouverites honour third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” “Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things ‘full circle,’” and “Stó:lō Nation says 158 children died at Fraser Valley residential schools, institutions.”
Perpetuating hatred towards the Catholic Church by using false narratives
The one thing CityNews reported accurately was that it has now been three years since the claims of unmarked graves found at residential schools shocked Canadians.
Since then, over 100 churches have been burned or vandalized across Canada in seeming retribution for the baseless claims. Instead of apologizing for their misleading claims which have driven anti-Catholic sentiment, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal government and the mainstream media have seemed to sympathize with those destroying churches, as evidenced by a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report on the matter.
Canadian indigenous residential schools, while run by both the Catholic Church and other Christian churches, were mandated and set-up by the federal government and ran from the late 19th century until the last school closed in 1996.
While some children did die at the once-mandatory boarding schools, evidence has revealed that many of the children tragically passed away as a result of unsanitary conditions due to the federal government, not the Catholic Church, failing to properly fund the system.
Instead of defending the Church against the allegations, politicians and bishops have largely gone along with the mainstream narrative, leaving many Catholics to fend for themselves.
One notable exception is retired Bishop of Calgary Frederick Henry, who last September blasted the blatant “lie” that thousands of missing indigenous children who attended residential schools run by the Catholic Church were somehow “clandestinely” murdered by “Catholic priests and nuns,” and placed in unmarked graves.
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