Excuse the delay, Tim. I’ve wanted to reply to this for some time, but I’ve been busy, and I wanted to check on some facts.

I have yet to meet anyone who has not been appalled and shocked by the recent discoveries on the grounds of the residential schools, even though the horrific treatment of the indigenous people has been widely accepted for many years. It’s a time for reflection and an opportunity to recognize and confront past mistakes while we attempt to discover what happened.

The families of these children and the survivors of these schools are finally being listened to, and their accounts are important, but the bodies will also need to be exhumed and tests done to determine the individual causes of death. I believe there are records for some, although certainly not all of these deaths, which is encouraging. If a child was murdered, I think it’s unlikely those responsible would have bothered to record it, even if they lied about the cause.

They weren’t mass killings, and they’re not communal graves, like in wartime atrocities, so they were likely buried individually over a long period. So, therefore, it stands to reason that many would have died from childhood diseases, and it’s essential to keep this in context.

We’ve come to expect children to survive in recent years, but this wasn’t always the case. It was accepted by even well-off families that not all of their children would make it to adulthood, and this only changed with the incredible advances in science and medicine during the last century. With this in mind and considering the enormous time, it is entirely possible, although highly unlikely, that all of these deaths were caused by diseases that were very common at the time and also highly transmissible.

I’m not trying to make excuses. We all know this wasn’t the case, but before we start burning the flag and looking at ourselves as a nation of child killers, we should at least try to uncover the facts. It’s a harrowing task, but the fact that it is happening in the open and not covered up by state-run media, as it would in China, is a reason for Canadians to be proud.

Considering its relatively small population, this country has a unique and proud history, which I often feel is appreciated more abroad than it is here. Canadians have consistently boxed above their weight in science and medicine and have quickly taken a stand against foreign aggression, even at a terrible cost.

I could also mention the Underground Railroad and Canada’s role in the abolition of slavery or Queen Victoria’s decision to offer sanctuary to the indigenous tribes fleeing certain genocide at the hands of the American army. They probably would not have survived at all had it not been for Canada or Great Britain as it was in those days.

Anyone unsure of Canada’s role in history should visit the memorial at Vimy Ridge in France. It’s immaculately kept and free to enter for anyone with a Canadian passport. The moment you see the rows of white crosses that stretch as far as the eye can see in every direction, you understand why.

Yes, I believe we should still celebrate Canada Day—although obviously it’s a bit late for that now.