CFJC Today File Photo
Residential School Renovations

Engagement sessions scheduled as work to rehabilitate former Kamloops Indian Residential School building continues

Jan 17, 2025 | 9:36 AM

KAMLOOPS — Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc is seeking input from all band members as it moves ahead with plans to rehabilitate the former Kamloops Indian Residential School building.

It will be hosting a pair of community engagement sessions at Moccasin Square Gardens on Wednesday, Jan. 29 between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and at the CLC Assembly Hall on Thursday, Jan. 30 between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

“Council and the 13 Grassroots Advisory Committee helped guide the direction of the Chief Louis Centre (CLC) rehabilitation, and through a survey, you gave your thoughts and ideas for rehabilitating the building,” a Thursday (Jan. 16) statement from the Band said.

“As we step into the new year, Tkemlúps te Secwépemc invites all band membership to participate in upcoming engagement sessions to give us your thoughts on the design options. This is an opportunity to share your voice and vision for the transformation of the Chief Louis Centre (Red Brick Building) to reflect our culture and meet our community’s needs for generations to come.”

The rehabilitation work began in June of last year, about one year after the Federal Government announced that it was giving Tk’emlúps up to $1.5 million to assess the feasibility of possible renovations and upgrades to the nearly 100-year-old Kamloops Indian Residential School building.

“Whether the building holds new cultural and community gathering spaces, additional educational spaces, new recreational and retail opportunities, offices and coworking spaces, or a mix of many uses – your voice is important to help reclaim the building for present and future generations of the TteS Community,” the Tkemlúps statement said.

According to Tkemlúps te Secwépemc, design development work is scheduled for this spring with rehabilitation work scheduled to take place between 2025 and 2027.

Timeline of Chief Louis Centre (Red Brick Building) rehabilitation project. (Image Credit: Tkemlúps te Secwépemc)

Major repairs and renovations to come: Tkemlúps

Tkemlúps te Secwépemc says the first step in the rehabilitation work will be to ensure that the building – which has previously been used as the band’s administration offices, as a community space, and as a day care – is safe.

“The Chief Louis Centre (Red Brick Building) is in need of major repairs and renovations to make sure it can stand for generations to come,” the Thursday statement said. “In order to preserve the building and remove the risk of it becoming unusable, this rehabilitation project will bring it up to modern standards and make it safe, healthy, and accessible.”

It says modern plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems will enhance the building’s energy efficiency and sustainability, while removing any materials found to be hazardous or harmful to users. The work will also see the red brick building, which was built in 1923, brought up to modern energy, health, and safety codes.

The rehabilitated Chief Louis’ Centre will also include accessibility upgrades – like elevators and barrier-free entrances – so people of all physical abilities are able to use the space.

In 2023, Tkemlúps Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir said she was hoping to see “a lot of restoration work” take place, after band members made the decision to keep the residential school building standing as a reminder for future generations.

To that effect, Tkemlúps says it will “maintaining the appearance and authenticity” on the south, west, and east exterior walls of the building. It will rehabilitate any walls and wood windows, and salvage or protect “character-defining” interior finishes like the pressed tin ceilings, wood doors, sidelights, and railings.

It will also preserve or restore spaces like the former Boys’ Dormitory, the former basement level laundry room, and boiler rooms that have “high cultural sensitivity” so it can be used for commemorative and/or interpretative purposes. Work to preserve “key interior finishes and design aspects” that help to distinguish between the Girls’ and Boys’ wings will also take place.

Image Credit: Tkemlúps te Secwépemc

Tkemlúps says all of the renovation work will be done in accordance with the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada. It will also integrate Secwépemctsín language and place names into the redeveloped building.

“The Chief Louis Centre is a symbol of colonial harms, but also a focal point for reconciliation,” the Tkemlúps statement added.

“Conserving and protecting the heritage of the building ensures that the architectural and cultural values embedded in the school’s structure are acknowledged to link to historic context and also reclaimed to foster a path forward.”

The Kamloops Indian Residential School was in operation between 1890 and 1978, and run for most of that time by the Catholic Church. At one point, it was the largest residential school in Canada, with enrolment peaking at 500 in the 1950s.

You can find more details about the Chief Louis Centre rehabilitation project, including some pictures, here.