A visit by MLA and OneBC leader Dallas Brodie to Thompson Rivers University this week has drawn criticism from the university and Indigenous leaders after a discussion questioning residential school findings was promoted on social media.
A poster advertising an event titled “Where Are the 215 Bodies?” circulated online, featuring Brodie, former Mount Royal University professor Frances Widdowson, and former Abbotsford teacher Jim McMurtry. The trio have publicly challenged the findings announced by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc in 2021, which identified 215 suspected unmarked graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
In a statement, TRU President Airini said the Wednesday event was “not sanctioned by TRU” and that its organizers did not have permission to hold it on campus. She added that notice had been issued under the B.C. Trespass Act, and the university was not endorsing the discussion. “TRU stands with survivors, Indigenous communities and all who continue to live with the impacts of residential schools,” Airini said. “The university remains committed to ensuring our campuses are places of belonging, learning and respect.”
Brodie says visit led to “civilized dialogue”
In a late Wednesday afternoon interview with Radio NL’s Jeff Andreas, Brodie described the day as unexpectedly positive despite anticipating backlash. “We expected maybe to have this very hostile crowd greet us there, and there were some people who were oppositional,” she said, “but for the most part, this was an incredibly successful day. We had civilized dialogue on many fronts with different people, older people, but a lot of young people too at the university. It was incredible.”
People protesting Brodie’s visit to TRU
Brodie said the purpose of the visit was to discuss what she called misinformation surrounding the discovery of the suspected graves at Kamloops. “So far, there is no proof that there are these bodies there,” Brodie said. “This inaccuracy or lie keeps being propagated and perpetuated throughout Canada, and it’s doing a lot of harm.”
Brodie also spoke about her upcoming documentary Making a Killing, which she said examines the “reconciliation industry” and the impacts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The film is set to premiere December 1 at makingakilling.ca.
Widdowson calls for ‘reckoning on Kamloops’
Fellow panelist Frances Widdowson—who was dismissed from Mount Royal University in 2021 after years of controversy over her views on Indigenous issues—reiterated her belief that federal funding and public discussion around the Kamloops site have lacked accountability. “We need a reckoning on Kamloops. We need to have the truth known about Kamloops,” Widdowson said. “The only way we’re going to do that is through excavations at Kamloops.”
Far right – Jim McMurtry and Frances Widdowson to his immediate left
She said that despite more than $24 million in federal funding, there has been no excavation work to confirm or disprove the findings announced by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.
Widdowson has previously been condemned by Indigenous leaders and scholars for promoting what they describe as residential school denialism. She maintains her comments are based on academic research and a desire for transparency about historical records.
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc continues to stand by its 2021 announcement and the ongoing technical and cultural work being conducted at the former school site.
OneBC Town Hall Thursday
Despite the backlash, OneBC proceeded with a Kamloops meet-and-greet and town hall on Thursday, November 13th.
The discussion focused on Aboriginal title claims, property rights, and the need for constitutional change. Brodie said the events are designed to encourage open, direct dialogue. “We’re just speaking honestly to people about issues,” Brodie said. “We’re not polished politicians trying to go around and use weasel words and say things that are just slick lines. We’re giving straight goods and we’re standing up for British Columbians, all British Columbians, Indigenous, non-Indigenous, everybody.”
The OneBC Town Hall did not happen without challenges. Those taking part were asked to leave multiple establishments including the Thompson Hotel and Conference Centre and The Coast Hotel. Eventually they held a gathering outdoors on public property.
Background
Dallas Brodie, a former Conservative Party of BC MLA now leading the new populist party OneBC, has been vocal in her opposition to current reconciliation policies and the NDP government’s implementation of DRIPA.
Frances Widdowson and Jim McMurtry have also been prominent critics of what they describe as the politicization of reconciliation and Indigenous policy.
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced in May 2021 that ground-penetrating radar had detected anomalies consistent with unmarked graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The findings drew national attention and prompted further investigations across the country.
The First Nation has said that confirming remains through excavation would be a complex process requiring careful coordination with survivors and families of former students.
