(Ottawa) A Catholic archdiocese, which includes parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario, released much-anticipated documents on residential schools this week.
The news comes as religious leaders are accused of keeping information about these largely church-run institutions secret.
Archbishop Murray Chatlain said the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas handed over the documents to the Winnipeg-based National Center for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday.
It was a day before he testified before a Senate committee studying document withholding.
Mr. Chatlain said an archdiocese staff member found a box of files containing lists of residential schools in 2021, and they agreed to digitize the files in consultation with the national center.
However, he said copies have so far only been shared with a local historical society, and the documents were only sent to the center on Monday.
A report from Kimberly Murray, the independent special interlocutor for missing children and unmarked graves and burials, said this summer that some governments and churches continue to withhold documents about residential schools and associated sites.
Senators heard from experts and religious leaders pushing to explain why this is the case, and why some surviving residential school staff have not been made available to share details about their experiences.