Treaty 1 Territory — Assiniboia Residential School Memorial Walk and Run

On the weekend of September 27th, I laced up my shoes and joined hundreds of Winnipeggers on Treaty 1 Territory for the Assiniboia Residential School Memorial Walk and Run — and I left that morning carrying something I will not put down.

The Assiniboia Residential School operated for decades in the heart of Winnipeg. Children from across the Prairies — many of them from First Nations right here in Churchill–Keewatinook Aski — were taken from their families and brought to that building. Some came home changed forever. Some did not come home at all.

Standing at that monument on Academy Road, surrounded by orange shirts and the quiet weight of what this site represents, I was reminded of something important: reconciliation happens here. In the places where the harm was done. In the communities that are still healing. And in the commitment of every person willing to show up, walk, and refuse to let this history be forgotten.

I am grateful to the organizers who make this walk possible every year — who create a space for Survivors to be honoured, for families to grieve, and for all of us who benefit from this country to reckon honestly with how it was built.

I also want to share something personal. I was extremely glad to have attended this event with my Dad — a residential school Survivor. Walking alongside him that morning meant more to me than any words can adequately capture.

Every Child Matters. Not as a slogan. As a commitment we carry forward every day.