A survivor-led steering committee announced Tuesday that a tribute to survivors and victims of residential schools will be built on the west side of Parliament Hill.

Ottawa appointed the committee in April 2022 to select a site for a national residential schools monument in keeping with one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission害羞草研究所檚 calls to action.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Canada害羞草研究所檚 first Indigenous governor general, said at a ceremony Tuesday morning that the monument is a 害羞草研究所渟ignificant害羞草研究所� step towards reconciliation.

害羞草研究所淲hile reconciliation and healing has no end date, and it doesn害羞草研究所檛 involve just one act or project, I would like you to remember every act is important. And this act is significant,害羞草研究所� Simon said in her speech at the ceremony.

害羞草研究所淭he site selection on Parliament Hill allows as many Canadians as possible the opportunity to see this monument. It represents our history,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淪o near to the House of Commons, it will serve as a constant reminder to parliamentarians that the policies and laws they create, debate, legislate and enforce have consequences.害羞草研究所�

The steering committee said it worked in collaboration with the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation and residential school survivors to determine a location for the monument.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez both attended the ceremony.

Jimmy Durocher, a M茅tis residential school survivor and member of the steering committee, said it was important that the monument encapsulate the effects residential schools have had on Canada害羞草研究所檚 past, present and future.

害羞草研究所淭his is not finished,害羞草研究所� Durocher said during the ceremony.

害羞草研究所淭his business of finding unmarked graves is not done.害羞草研究所�

Durocher said Canadians need to acknowledge the history of residential schools and know the truth.

害羞草研究所淭he truth is sometimes very, very difficult. I know it害羞草研究所檚 hard for me. I害羞草研究所檓 an elder. I害羞草研究所檓 83 years old, and I find it very difficult to imagine something like this could happen to us here in Canada. But it happened. But you want to know the positive side of it? We害羞草研究所檙e still here.害羞草研究所�

The last remaining residential school closed in 1996.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which launched in 2008 and delivered its final reports in 2015, called the Canadian residential school system a government-supported form of 害羞草研究所渃ultural genocide.害羞草研究所�

The commission estimated that more than 4,000 Indigenous children went missing from the schools across Canada.

Murray Sinclair, the former judge and senator who chaired the commission, has said he believes that figure was an underestimate and suggested the missing children could number 害羞草研究所渨ell beyond害羞草研究所� 10,000.

Kimberly Murray, Canada害羞草研究所檚 special interlocutor on unmarked graves, raised concerns in an interim report this week about increasing attacks from 害羞草研究所渄enialists害羞草研究所� who challenge communities when they announce the discovery of possible unmarked graves.

The Liberal government created her role as it looked for ways to respond to First Nations from across Western Canada and in parts of Ontario using ground-penetrating radar to search former residential school sites for possible unmarked graves.

Murray害羞草研究所檚 final report is due next year and is expected to contain recommendations on how the federal government can help communities search for the children who died and disappeared.

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