Pictured above: The North West Company headquarters in Winnipeg lowered its flags to half-mast in commemoration of the 215 children who lost their lives at the Kamloops residential school.

The discovery of the remains of hundreds of children on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School on May 28 left many Canadians with a sobering reminder of the atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples within the Residential School system.

In response to the news, The North West Company Inc. (North West) issued a statement expressing support to those impacted by the Kamloops discovery and for the First Nations’ call for a forensic investigation of former Residential School sites. The statement also encourages Canadians to learn about the tragedies of the Residential School system and the history of Indigenous relations in Canada.

Pictured above: Staff at the Northern store in Churchill created a memorial for the lost children by displaying children’s footwear in-store.

North West also solemnly lowered the flag at its headquarters in Winnipeg to half-mast in respect for the 215 Indigenous children found in Kamloops, and others who were also lost to the residential school system. Nor’Westers and Northern/NorthMart store staff wore orange t-shirts on May 31 to show their support of the victims and survivors of Residential Schools. Northern/NorthMart stores have also shown their support in a variety of other ways as well. For example, the staff at the Northern store in Churchill created a memorial display using 215 pairs of children's shoes.

You can read North West's full statement here.