UPDATE July 2023:

Thank you for your input during our Phase 1 engagement, which is now closed. We received more than 730 contributions between Sept. 1 and Dec. 30, 2022, with ideas on the location and design of a permanent memorial in honour of all the Indian Residential School Survivors and the thousands of children who never returned home. The City reported back in May 2023 on what we heard.

In summary:

Stay informed about this project and other initiatives by subscribing to The City’s Indigenous Relations Office monthly e-newsletter.

Moh-kins-tsis. Guts-ists’i. Wîchispa Oyade. Otos-kwunee. Calgary. This place is home to more than a million people, including more than 41,645 Indigenous people, as well as a neighbour to other First Nations in the region.

It is in the spirit of celebration and ceremony that The City of Calgary moves forward towards Truth and Reconciliation. Through the Indigenous Relations Office, The City is committed to working with the community to educate Calgarians about the history of Indigenous people here and building strong relationships and partnerships with Indigenous communities.

The City of Calgary is creating a permanent memorial in honour of all the Indian Residential School Survivors (IRS) and the thousands of children who never returned home. This monument will honour survivors and lost children by providing a place for people to gather, pay respects, and ensure that the history and legacy of the schools are never forgotten. The City of Calgary’s Indigenous Relations Office, in relationship with the IRS Elders Advisory Group, IRS working group, and local Indigenous community, is co-creating a memorial site through dialogue guided by the seven sacred teachings and by community discussions. The relationship with the Indigenous community will guide construction of the IRS memorial through an Indigenous lens.

The creation of this memorial aligns with Call to Action #82 in The White Goose Flying Report, “Establish monument.” The report was presented in 2016 by the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Advisory Committee, an advisory committee to Calgary City Council.

At this time, this engagement process is focused on gathering input from Indigenous community members and Indigenous-serving community agencies and organizations.

View the entire what we heard presentation:

The relationship with the Indigenous community will lead the design and location of the IRS memorial with a strong Indigenous perspective. The City of Calgary wants to ensure that the engagement process is inclusive and collaborative.

Express your thoughts and feelings on a preferred location and design of the memorial by responding to the questions in the tabs for Location, Design and the temporary Memorial.

to make arrangements.