WINNIPEG – The North West Company (“North West”) today issued this statement from Edward Kennedy, President & CEO, on the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School:
“North West stands with Indigenous Peoples in Canada who lost their loved ones within the Residential School system and we extend our caring thoughts to those directly impacted by the Kamloops discovery. This discovery is jarring and traumatic for Indigenous Peoples, and for all Canadians it starkly speaks to the physical conditions and racism that were forcibly endured under the Residential School system and the continuing pain created by it.
“As a community partner to over 175,000 northern Indigenous Peoples in Canada, North West commits to advocating for truth and understanding about our collective past. We support First Nations calling for a forensic investigation of former Residential School sites and we encourage Canadians to learn about the tragedies of the Residential School system and the history of Indigenous relations in Canada up to and including the present day.”
About The North West Company
The North West Company is a retailer primarily serving rural communities in Canada and Alaska, as well as islands in the South Pacific and Caribbean. We are committed to helping our customers live better by bringing them the best products and services together with a tradition of community support. North West’s Northern and NorthMart stores are the largest local private employer of Indigenous people in Canada, with close to 3,000 employees and an annual payroll exceeding $65 million.
