Aboriginal students who lost their lives while attending the Alexandra Industrial School for Girls in Toronto are not lost to memory any longer, thanks to the efforts of Toronto District School Board Native Studies teacher Amanda Conkie.

Conkie was determined to insure that her students were made aware of the IRS history in  their own city. Alexandra Industrial School had such poor records kept, that the Department of Indian Affairs doesn’t even know what year the school closed its doors!

A huge ‘meegwetch’ goes out to Amanda, who worked through the Project of Heart module until its conclusion. Elder and Indian Residential School survivor Cliff Standingready was invited to the school to conduct the ceremony to cleanse the 316 tiles, and insure that the memory of these girls was not lost to time.

Well done students of Sir Robert L. Borden B.T. I. – and Amanda Conkie!