We welcome you to the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre.

The records on our site emerge from the cultural and physical genocide that the Canadian government and churches conducted through the Indian Residential School System, including the ongoing impacts.

Bearing witness to these records may become overwhelming. If you are a Survivor or an Intergenerational Survivor and would like support, you can call the 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at:

1-866-925-4419

Please click the button below for other cultural and mental health resources.

No title (undated). Source: Deschâtelets-NDC Archives.
Home Communities of Students
ʔakisq̓nuk (Akisqnuk First Nation), Adam’s Lake Indian Band, Ahousaht, Ashcroft Indian Band, Bonaparte First Nation, Boston Bar First Nation, Chawathil First Nation, Coldwater Indian Band, Cook’s Ferry Indian Band, Cowichan, Deroche, Douglas Lake, Ehattesaht First Nation, Esk’etemculucw, Fort Douglas, Fort Langley, Fort Nelson First Nation, Gitanmaax Band, Gitwangak, Hesquiaht First Nation, High Bar First Nation, Homalco First Nation, Isitsk, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’ / Che:k’tles7et’h’ (Kyuquot / Checleseht First Nations), Katz, Klahoose First Nation, Kootenay, Kuper Island, Lake Babine Nation, Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, Lillooet, Líl̓wat Nation, Lower Nicola Indian Band, Lytton First Nation, Matsqui First Nation, Merritt, N’Quatqua, Nadleh Whut’en First Nation, Nak’azdli Whut’en, Neskonlith Indian Band, Nesquiat, Nicola, Nicomen Indian Band, Okanagan Indian Band, Oregon Jack, Osoyoos Indian Band, Pauquachin First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, Penticton Indian Band, Quilchena, Ruby Creek, Saanich, Salmon River, Salteau First Nations, SAMAHQUAM, Seabird Island Band, Sekw’el’was (Cayoose Creek Band), Shaw, shíshálh Nation, Shulus, Shxw’ōwhámél First Nation, Simpcw First Nation, Skeetchestn Indian Band, Skwah First Nation, Skwlax (Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band), Slave, Snuneymuxw First Nation, Somenos (S-amuna'), Songhees Nation, Splatsín, Spuzzum First Nation, Sq'éwlets, Sq’ewá:lxw (Skawahlook First Nation), Sts’ailes, Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation, Stz’uminus First Nation, Sumas First Nation, T'Sou-ke First Nation, T’exelc - The Williams Lake First Nation, Tathlon, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, Tl’etinqox, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation, Ts’il Kaz Koh, Tsal’alh, Tsartlip First Nation, The Tsq’escenemc (Canim Lake Band), Uchucklesaht Tribe, Ulkatcho First Nation, Union Bar, Upper Nicola Band, Vernon, Westbank First Nation, Wet'suwet'en, Whispering Pines / Clinton Indian Band (WP/CIB), Witset First Nation, Xatśūll First Nation, Xaxli’p, Xwísten (Bridge River Indian Band), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Yale First Nation
Note on Home Communities
The “home communities" mentioned above come from the school narratives created by government researchers in the Indian Residential School litigation process. Here the communities are described as “bands” and “reserves.” We have tried to update the names to communities' current, preferred names (these names are hyperlinked in the list above). In instances where we have not been sure which community is being referenced, we have left the name as it appears in the school narrative and unlinked. The names of cultural groups have been updated and the original name placed in square brackets.

These lists on the school records are not comprehensive. In a few cases the community names have been supplemented with information from a school’s quarterly returns, but this has not been done consistently. This project is an iterative, ongoing one. If you are aware of other community names that we should include in this list, or would like to comment on those we have updated, please email us at irshdc.reference@ubc.ca.

Kamloops (BC)

Dates of Operation
May 19, 1890 - July 31, 1978
Description
The Kamloops Industrial School was opened, under Roman Catholic administration, in 1890. It became the largest school in the Indian Affairs residential school system. Enrolment peaked in the early 1950s at 500. In 1910, the principal said that the government did not provide enough money to properly feed the students. In 1924 a portion of the school was destroyed by fire. In 1969, the federal government took over the administration of the school, which no longer provided any classes and operated it as residence for students attending local day schools until 1978, when the residence was closed. (National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation).
Additional Resources
For more information on the school, see the timeline, featured collection, and resource list
Denomination
Catholic Church

More Information

Alternate Name(s)
Kamloops Indian Industrial School
St. Louis
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Map Information

Location
"Point is on the Kamloops Residential School building that was constructed in the 1920s and opened in 1929. The building is now used as an administrative building for the Tk’emlúps the Secwépemc First Nation. The original school buildings (1890-1925) were located about 100 metres northwest of the school building that opened in 1925" (Orlandini, 2019). 
Location Credit
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. The school/hostel location data was collected by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission / National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Morgan Hite (Atlas of Indian Residential Schools of Canada), Stephanie Pyne (Residential Schools Land Memory Mapping Project) and Rosa Orlandini (Map and GIS Librarian, York University Libraries). The location data and associated attribute data was enhanced, revised and updated by Rosa Orlandini, in consultation with the Archivists at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Location Source
Orlandini, Rosa, 2019, "Residential Schools Locations Dataset (Shapefile format)", https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/FJG5TG, Borealis, V3, UNF:6:TTc1mMvx2BlBqBgIN05xVw== [fileUNF]

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