There were at least 11 residential schools in Quebec.
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Residential schools were facilities run by churches and the Canadian federal government. Indigenous children "were taken from their families and communities" and forced to
"attend schools which were often located far from their homes," the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation states on its website.
Where were residential schools in Quebec?
These boarding schools were meant to assimilate Indigenous children into settler society, and students were regularly mistreated and abused.
Below are the locations of 11 Quebec residential schools as they're listed online by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. For some schools, the Commission lists multiple names.
Amos; Amos, QC
Fort George, also called Saint Joseph's Mission, Residence Couture and Sainte-Thérèse-de-l’Énfant-Jésus; Fort George, QC
Fort George, also called Saint Phillip's; Fort George, QC
Federal Hostel at George River; Kangirsualujjuaq, QC
Federal Hostel at Great Whale River, also called Poste-de-la-Baleine and Kuujjaraapik; Kuujjuaraapik / Whapmagoostui, QC
Mistassini Hostels; Mistassini QC
Federal Hostel at Payne Bay, also called Bellin; Kangirsuk, QC
Pointe Bleue; Pointe-Bleue, QC
Federal Hostel at Port Harrison, also called Inoucdjouac and Innoucdouac; Inukjuak, QC
Sept-Îles, also called Seven Islands, Notre Dame and Maliotenam; Sept-Îles, QC
La Tuque; La Tuque, QC
The Commission notes, however, that its list "excludes any school that operated without federal government support."
In addition to these 11 institutions, the Government of Canada also refers to Fort George Hostels on its own list of residential schools in the province.
When did Quebec's residential schools open?
According to the history of the residential school system compiled in the Commission's final report, there were only two residential schools in Quebec (both in Fort George) before the 1950s. However, four new schools opened between 1952 and 1963.
The Commission attributed this wave of residential school openings to "greater interest in developing the economic resources" in the province's "mid-North."
"To facilitate this development," the final report states, "Indian Affairs began to play a larger and more direct role in the lives of Aboriginal people in the region. Thisis included the relocating of some communities, the establishment of reserves, and the opening of residential schools."
Three of the residential schools that opened in Quebec in the mid-20th century closed in the '70s, according to the Commission.
The Pointe-Bleue residential school was active until 1991.
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society Emergency Crisis Line is available across Canada 24/7. Those who may need support can call 1-866-925-4419.
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