OMI Lacombe Canada and NCTR Sign Supplemental Agreement
On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, on Treaty 1 Territory, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate OMI Lacombe Canada came together to sign a supplemental agreement marking a pivotal step in the ongoing journey of truth and reconciliation. This agreement accelerates access to personnel files of Oblate members who worked in residential schools, ensuring transparency and greater understanding of this chapter in Canada’s history.
At the signing ceremony, Fr. Ken Thorson, OMI, Provincial of OMI Lacombe Canada, and Rob Meilleur, Chief Administrative Officer, offered thoughtful remarks on the significance of this partnership.
We are pleased to share their reflections, spoken at this important event, below:
Fr. Ken Thorson’s Remarks on the Occasion of the signing of the supplemental agreement between OMI Lacombe Canada, and the NCTR:
Good afternoon, friends,
I want to begin by thanking everyone for the thoughtful remarks shared today. In particular, I extend my sincere gratitude to Stephanie Scott and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation for the collaborative and respectful working relationship you have fostered with us.
My colleague, Rob Meilleur, will soon offer more detailed insights into the terms of this agreement. Before that, I’d like to reflect on the deeper context of why this work matters so profoundly to us as Oblates.
Since our arrival in Canada in 1841, the Oblates have sought to serve the poor, offering ministry in diverse settings, from remote northern communities to bustling urban centers. Amongst ourselves and in our ministries, we have embraced and celebrated a cultural and linguistic diversity, with hospitality as a cornerstone of our mission. And yet, we must confront the undeniable reality that aspects of our ministry have caused harm—often to those we were most committed to serving.
Most painfully, the Oblates’ role in operating residential schools across Canada has left an intergenerational legacy of grief, trauma, and pain.
In 1991, the Oblate Conference of Canada issued an apology for this legacy. That apology included these words: “We want to support an effective process of disclosure vis‐à‐vis Residential Schools. We offer to collaborate in any way we can so that the full story of the Indian Residential Schools may be written.”
While this commitment was clear in its intention, we must acknowledge that our follow-through has often been too slow. For many, unacceptably slow.
Today represents an important turning point—a move from intention to action on the long journey toward truth, justice, healing, and reconciliation. We owe much of this progress to the courage of Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, survivors, and intergenerational survivors who have spoken their truth with clarity and grace.
To them, I offer my profound gratitude. Their voices have illuminated this path forward, challenging us to engage this work with respect, humility, and deep listening.
Though the journey has been fraught with complications, I believe we have made meaningful progress, especially in the years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As part of this effort, we have shared tens of thousands of residential school records and worked to ensure researchers, journalists, and survivors have access to these historical truths. More recently, we have prepared personnel files for hundreds of Oblates who worked in residential schools to make them accessible for further examination.
The national conversation around this history intensified in late May of 2021, following the revelations at the former Kamloops Residential School. These revelations brought fresh urgency to the work of truth and reconciliation—a responsibility we must continue to carry.
In this, I take inspiration from Pope Francis’s penitential pilgrimage to Canada. His reflection at Lac Ste. Anne in July 2022 resonates deeply. The Pope contrasted the role St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, played in nurturing Jesus’ early life with the tragic reality of the residential school system, which denied Indigenous grandmothers the ability to pass on their language, culture, and spirituality to their grandchildren.
He called on us, the Church, to honestly confront our history, acknowledge our part in the colonial residential school system, and walk with survivors toward healing.
Let me share his words from that day:
“Your presence is a testimony of resilience and a fresh start of pilgrimage towards healing, of a heart open to God (the Creator) who heals the life of communities. All of us, members of the Church, need healing, from the temptation of closing in on ourselves, of defending the institutions rather than seeking the truth.”
These words are both a challenge and an invitation. My prayer today is that this agreement marks a step forward—a “fresh start”—on this shared pilgrimage of healing.
Thank you for welcoming us here today. On behalf of Rob and the leadership team of OMI Lacombe Canada, I pledge to continue this work with an open heart. May we all journey together toward a deeper understanding and healing of this painful, yet essential, chapter in our shared history.
Thank you, miigwech.
Rob Meilleur’s Remarks on the Occasion of the signing of the supplemental agreement between OMI Lacombe Canada, and the NCTR
Good afternoon everyone,
My name is Rob Meilleur, and I am the Chief Administrative Officer for OMI Lacombe Canada. I am honored to join you on this historic day.
My responsibilities include overseeing the Oblate Archives and serving as the operational lead in our collaboration with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. I believe – and I hope you will too – that today marks an important step forward in our shared journey toward truth, transparency, and reconciliation.
For many years, the personnel files of Oblates were considered closed for 50 years after an individual’s passing. From now on, the personnel files of Oblates who worked in Residential Schools and have been deceased for at least two years will be shared with the NCTR. This is a profound shift for us, and one that underscores our commitment to openness and transparency.
To ensure the careful handling of these records, OMI Lacombe is proud to fund a dedicated document specialist at the NCTR. Their role will be crucial in reviewing personnel files to remove only those documents restricted by privacy legislation. Our ultimate goal is to expedite the transfer of complete files while maintaining full transparency.
Today is the result of a process we have been working at diligently for many years. And while it has, at times, been a complicated process, it is one which we have been fully committed to. Along the way, we have gained a better understanding of why this work matters so much and the responsibility that comes with it.
One of the turning points for me personally was in July 2022, when I traveled with Raymond to Rome to look at the archives held by the Oblate General Administration. This was the first time anyone outside the Oblates had access to those records, and it was important that the NCTR was the first to be welcomed in.
In most cases, the files we found in Rome were duplicates of what we hold in Canada, affirming that the records here are the most complete and best suited for sharing with Indigenous communities. It also reinforced the importance of our collaboration with the NCTR.
This day also gives us the opportunity to reflect on the vital work being done by archives across the country. In 2018, the Oblates made a significant decision to leave the archives where the history occurred. This resulted in gifting agreements with three esteemed partners: the Royal BC Museum, the Provincial Archives of Alberta, and the Société Historique de Saint-Boniface. These partnerships have ensured that the history of the Oblates and the communities they worked with is preserved and accessible.
As part of this new agreement, we plan to amend our gifting agreements and work in collaboration with the NCTR and our partners to ensure that all personnel files of Oblates who worked in the schools are digitized and transferred as quickly and comprehensively as possible.
Transferring these files is no small task. Many of these documents are old and fragile, often requiring restoration. Some are bound in books that demand careful handling to ensure they are legible for transfer. We are deeply grateful for the collaboration between the NCTR and the Oblate Archives, as well as the expertise of individuals working within these institutions. Their diligence ensures that records are not only preserved but also properly prepared for sharing.
Today’s signing represents more than just an agreement—it symbolizes our shared commitment to transparency and the importance of confronting difficult truths. It is a step forward in ensuring that the voices and experiences of Residential School survivors, their families, and their communities are honored and preserved.
Thank you to everyone who has worked to make this day possible. This is a testament to the power of collaboration and the collective will to ensure that history is not forgotten, but rather used as a foundation for healing and reconciliation.
Thank you.
