'I could really feel the impact': Turning grief into an awareness campaign
A woman in Fort Saskatchewan has decided to begin an awareness campaign in response to the discovery of the bodies of 215 children at a former residential school in Kamloops.
“I didn’t know why I was so emotional and I felt helpless,” said Tara Delver. “It was hard.”
Delver grew up on the Saddle Lake First Nation, her parents and two grandparents were residential school survivors.
In May, the bodies of 215 indigenous children were found at a former residential school.
“I don’t know these 215 children, I don’t know their families but I could really feel the impact in my heart and the sadness of the whole nation and our people.”
She talked to her mother, who told her she was feeling inter-generational trauma.
“It hurts every day to read people’s stories because without those survivors that made it through that we wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t be here without my grandparents surviving,” said Delver.
Tara Delver is walking to raise money and awareness. Saturday June 12, 2021 (CTV News Edmonton)
She decided she wanted to help raise awareness and money for the Legacy of Hope Foundation. The foundation aims to educate people about the history of the residential school system, the 60’s scoop and missing or murdered Indigenous women.
After seeing a challenge online, Delver decided to walk of run at least 2.15 miles each day. So far, she’s raised nearly $3,000 for the foundation.
“I run more than that for the reason being that there’s more out there,” said Delver. “As soon as people take the step forward to learn and to just understand that this happened and we’re not trying to make anyone feel bad, we’re just trying to make people aware.”
Delver is often joined on the runs and walks by family, sometimes her 11-year-old daughter.
“It’s a great teaching tool for her to better understand her culture,” said Delver.
She is considering continuing with the daily journey for a total of 215 days, around January.
“We’ll start with the month of June and I’ll see how I feel from there,” said Delver.
Delver is documenting her experience on TikTok using #WalkAlongWithTara.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.