Museum at former residential school in Portage la Prairie to expand

Designs are complete for a major expansion of the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada, located at the site of the former residential school in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The planned expansion aims to create a vital space for healing and community connection for survivors and their families.

Executive director Lorraine Daniels stated the museum will serve as a place where individuals can find closure and continue their healing journeys. "It’s a place where they can connect with other survivors," she said. The new facilities will include a building behind the old school, centered on the Seven Sacred Teachings, offering space for cultural activities, sweats, and sharing circles.

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For some it will bring closure, and continue on with their healing journey. It’s a place where they can connect with other survivors.

Further plans include a new medicine garden and a monument dedicated to students who did not return home. A dock with canoes is also envisioned for the riverbank. Daniels emphasized the project's role in reclaiming the space and allowing people to reconnect with the land and water, offering a sense of freedom and relaxation in contrast to the past restrictions.

This ambitious project is in its early stages, with Daniels estimating a completion timeline of five to ten years. The museum faces a significant fundraising challenge, aiming to raise up to $30 million to realize its vision. The expansion represents a commitment to remembrance, healing, and cultural revitalization.

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At one time, they weren’t allowed to leave the grounds, and now it’s open and there’s freedom, and it’s just a way to relax