Justin Trudeau’s biggest scandal? The 215 Indigenous children’s graves that were never found |

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concludes his remarks on the Black History Month Reception on the Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press by way of AP)

Justin Trudeau’s tenure as Canada’s prime minister was marked by quite a few scandals, however few have been as enduring—and as damaging—because the Kamloops unmarked graves controversy. In May 2021, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation claimed to have found the stays of 215 Indigenous kids on the web site of a former residential faculty, triggering a nationwide reckoning. Trudeau responded swiftly, decreasing the Canadian flag for practically six months, calling the invention “heartbreaking,” and pledging tens of millions in taxpayer {dollars} for additional investigations.
Yet, practically 4 years later, not a single grave has been exhumed or confirmed. The complete narrative was constructed on ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scans, which detected soil disturbances—one thing that might be brought on by something from tree roots to outdated infrastructure. But Trudeau, the media, and activists introduced the anomalies as laborious proof of mass graves, fueling outrage, church burnings, and requires worldwide investigations. The consequence? A $12 million payout to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, no transparency on the place the cash was spent, and an entire lack of follow-up from the Trudeau authorities earlier than his resignation.

The Scandal Trudeau Left Behind
Recent revelations have uncovered even deeper failures. As the National Post reported, not solely don’t have any graves been confirmed, however federal funds meant for fieldwork on the Kamloops web site seem to have been spent elsewhere. An inside authorities memo obtained by the Access to Information Act even said that there have been “requests from families to return bodies”—regardless of the actual fact that no our bodies have really been found.
Meanwhile, those that problem the false narrative face public backlash. B.C. Conservative MLA Dallas Brodie was lately attacked as a “denialist” for stating the factual fact: “The number of confirmed child burials at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site is zero.” Likewise, lawyer James Heller, who petitioned the Law Society of British Columbia to revise its claims that the graves were confirmed, was as a substitute accused of “denialism” and is now suing for libel.

Despite all of this, Trudeau’s allies proceed to suppress dialogue. The B.C. Indigenous Relations Minister, Christine Boyle, has declared that there’s “no place in B.C. for residential school denialism,” successfully shutting down any try at an sincere dialog. Meanwhile, political figures like Stewart Phillip, grand chief of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, dismissed fact-based scrutiny as a “smokescreen for anti-Indigenous racism.”
Trudeau’s Legacy of Misinformation and Political Opportunism
This scandal is one more instance of how Trudeau prioritized optics over info all through his profession. From the blackface scandal to his botched dealing with of Indigenous reconciliation, he regularly exploited social justice causes for political achieve whereas ignoring primary due diligence. The Kamloops controversy turned an unquestionable nationwide narrative, and the media didn’t ask primary questions concerning the proof.
Even after Trudeau’s resignation, his unverified claims concerning the 215 Indigenous graves stay politically untouchable, regardless of rising requires accountability. What was as soon as a narrative of “Canada reckoning with its past” is now a obtrusive instance of media failure, authorities overreach, and the risks of rushed political narratives.
The fact is evident: there aren’t any confirmed graves at Kamloops. Yet, even immediately, questioning this declare invitations outrage, censorship, and authorized battles. The actual scandal isn’t simply Trudeau’s function within the misinformation—it’s Canada’s continued refusal to appropriate it.

His authorities weaponized guilt, guaranteeing that questioning the official narrative was equated with denying Indigenous struggling altogether. The legacy of this technique continues, with some lawmakers even proposing criminalizing skepticism of unmarked graves, equating it to Holocaust denial. Professors have misplaced their jobs for talking out, and journalists danger skilled smash in the event that they examine too deeply.
The Post-Trudeau Era: What Comes Next?

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Trudeau’s resignation in early 2025 was pushed by financial collapse, mass immigration points, skyrocketing inflation, and his plummeting recognition. Once a political famous person, he turned a legal responsibility for his personal get together, with inside critics overtly questioning his management. Even his allies noticed the writing on the wall, together with Chrystia Freeland, who distanced herself from his failing administration earlier than his exit.
Now, his successor inherits a Canada nonetheless reeling from the harm completed beneath his management—and the Kamloops controversy stays a ticking time bomb. How lengthy can politicians and establishments proceed to disregard the actual fact that no graves have been found? How for much longer can Canadian taxpayers settle for that tens of millions of {dollars} have been spent investigating one thing that, up to now, doesn’t exist?
Kamloops was presupposed to be a defining second in Canadian historical past, a reckoning with the previous. Instead, it could go down as one of many biggest misinformation failures in fashionable politics. The query is not whether or not the graves exist—it’s whether or not anybody in energy has the braveness to lastly admit the reality.