'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.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
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.
'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.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'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.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
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.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.