Category Archives: _Ontario

OCDSB, Ottawa and Area, POH_news, _Ontario

All Saints Catholic H.S. students experience Project of Heart

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- Preparations for smudging ceremony at All Saints. Click image for slideshow -

On May 26th, All Saints Catholic School in Kanata participated in Project of Heart. It capped off Aboriginal Awareness Week at their school, and provided a unique opportunity for the whole school to learn about Indian Residential Schools and their impact on Aboriginal families and communities from their Indigenous guests. Native Studies teacher Amy Talarico and Art teacher Graham Mastersmith teamed up to help guide their students in learning about this much under-taught aspect of Canadian history, in preparation for presentations by an IRS survivor and a respected Elder. Continue reading All Saints Catholic H.S. students experience Project of Heart →

Ottawa and Area, POH_news, _Ontario

Personal connection brings Amos IRS close to home for Ottawa teacher

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-Click image to see slideshow-

This spring, Lynn Rainboth, a veteran teacher at Devonshire Public School in Ottawa along with her grade 6 class, commemorated the Indigenous students who went to Amos Indian Residential School in Amos, Quebec. This school was chosen because of a unique personal connection – Rainboth herself had taught the Barriere Lake First Nation children at Lac Rapide in the early 1990s, and many of the community members had attended Amos IRS in their youth. The community was “close to her heart” she says, and it became close to hearts of her 10 year olds as well, as can be seem in this article written by Kitchissippi Times correspondant, Salah Sultan. Continue reading Personal connection brings Amos IRS close to home for Ottawa teacher →

Durham and District Board, GTA, POH_news, _Ontario

Spanish Girls School remembered by Port Perry

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By Nancy Hamer Strahl  –Teacher, Port Perry High School, Port Perry, Ontario

This past semester, my Current Aboriginal Issues class was privileged to meet Larry Loyie, author and residential school survivor. His story changed the lives of my students and they felt they wanted to do something for the survivors and for those who never made it back home. Project of Heart gave us an opportunity to do just that. Continue reading Spanish Girls School remembered by Port Perry →

POH_news, Southwest, _Ontario

Young learners at Brier Park Public “touched by IRS stories”

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– Click image to see slideshow of other tiles –

They were as young as Grade 4 but as the above collection of sad faces shows, their emotions were engaged at Brantford’s Brier Park public this spring as teacher Julie Lumax incorporated Project of Heart at her school by commemorating the students who lost their lives at northern Ontario’s Fort William Indian Residential School. Continue reading Young learners at Brier Park Public “touched by IRS stories” →

Ottawa and Area, POH_news, _Ontario

Notre Dame students get mementos of their learning

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Above: a sample of the letters written by Notre Dame students as part of the social justice component; click on image for slideshow of completed tiles

A Native Studies teacher from Notre Dame Catholic High School in Ottawa completed Project of Heart with her students in June by commemorating the deaths of the Indigenous children at the Cross lake IRS in Manitoba.

Suzanne Keeptwo sends us this report of her class’s experience with Project of Heart: Continue reading Notre Dame students get mementos of their learning →

Eastern Ontario, POH_news, _Ontario

Pembroke students commemorate Saskatchewan Indian Residential School victims

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– Click image to view slideshow –

This past term 32 students from Bishop Smith Catholic School in Pembroke, Ontario commemorated the children who died at Thunderchild IRS and Sturgeon Landing IRS, both in Saskatchewan. The Bishop Smith participants were students of Kathrin Winkler, teacher of Aboriginal Cultures through the Arts. Continue reading Pembroke students commemorate Saskatchewan Indian Residential School victims →

OCSB, Ottawa and Area, POH_news, _Ontario

Lester B. Pearson Catholic School High School embraces Project of Heart

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Click on image to see slideshow

This spring Ottawa’s Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School commemorated the students that died as a result of the Indian Residential School experience at the Fort Albany IRS in James Bay. This school was chosen by the class of teacher Michael Bernards for its connection with one of their Indigenous classmates. Continue reading Lester B. Pearson Catholic School High School embraces Project of Heart →

Ottawa and Area, POH_news, _Ontario

Church-run Mount Elgin School remembered by Kitchissippi United

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Survivor Christopher Herodier with Kitchissippi United's Laurie Joe

IRS survivor Chris Herodier with Kitchissippi member Laurie Joe

A church in Ottawa’s Island Park neighbourhood was the scene of a unique act of acknowledgement as members of Kitchissippi United Church remembered the dead and the surviviors of Mount Elgin Indian Residential school in Muncey, Ontario. Mount Elgin was administered by the United Church of Canada. Continue reading Church-run Mount Elgin School remembered by Kitchissippi United →

OCDSB, Ottawa and Area, POH_news, Resources, _Ontario

Human Rights Tribunal attracts social action from POH students

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Image: student Samantha Wells takes on role of courtroom artist

A federal Human Rights Tribunal in Ottawa was recently the scene of a Project of Heart “social action component” as students from Elizabeth Wyn Wood attended  tribunal proceedings to show solidarity with the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society’s Executive director Cindy Blackstock, who took the stand to argue against a cynical government motion to dismiss the tribunal’s hearings into systemic underfunding of First Nations children in the child welfare system in Canada. Continue reading Human Rights Tribunal attracts social action from POH students →

Ottawa and Area, POH_news, Post-Secondary, _Ontario

Carleton University journalism students investigate Project of Heart

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The Friday Show is a project of Master’s students in journalism Carleton University; the show takes an in-depth at issues that are national in scope.

In this excerpt the Friday shows examines the experience of Project of Heart through the voices of traditional Elder Willy Bruce and student participant Violet Rosehart from Elizabeth Wyn Wood Alternate Site.

Also heard is POH coordinator Sylvia Smith as she indentifies what she believes is the “missing ingredient” in the historical narrative taught in our schools.

Click on the player below to hear the audio excerpt; it’s a concise piece that runs about three minutes.