Law is essential to finding truth. It is a necessary part of realizing reconciliation.

 – Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, volume 8

Born from the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) safeguards the records, statements, oral histories, and sacred materials entrusted to the TRC by residential school Survivors and their families. These truths form the sacred heart of the NCTR’s work.

The NCTR educates Canadians on the profound injustices inflicted on First Nations, Métis and Inuit by the forced removal of children to attend residential schools and the widespread abuse suffered in those institutions. They work to not only preserve the record of these human rights abuses but also promote continued education and understanding on the living legacy and of residential schools.

The legal community played a significant role in key aspects of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, and these legal precedents continue to help shape the future. As lawyers we know how important records and documentation are – the understanding, preservation, and protection of the truths of the residential school system are crucial to making sure this never happens again.

A national legacy project

The NCTR is a globally unique site of national conscience: the NCTR’s Archival Collection has been inscribed into UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register. Since its establishment in 2015, the NCTR has operated from a temporary location on the University of Manitoba campus – a space long outgrown by the scope and significance of its collection.

As Justice Murray Sinclair framed it:

“The work of Reconciliation is the work of generations. It is vitally important that the voices of Survivors can continue to guide us on this national journey. Their statements, and other records of our history, must be safeguarded with love and respect. And they must continue to be shared in ways that move Canadians to action. This is what a permanent home for the NCTR can mean for our children and grandchildren and for generations yet to come.”

With a foundational $60 million contribution from the federal government, and land returned by the University of Manitoba as an act of reconciliation, the NCTR, in partnership with the University, has embarked on a campaign to secure the funds needed to build a permanent home.

You can learn more at: NCTR-Permanent-Legacy-Jan2025.pdf

We invite the legal community to be part of this national legacy project, as a concrete and meaningful demonstration of our collective commitment to Truth, Justice and Reconciliation.

Posted: 6 July 2026