Designs have been completed for a major planned expansion to the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada, at the site of the former residential school in Portage la Prairie, Man.

Executive director Lorraine Daniels says it will be a place of healing and community.

“For some it will bring closure, and continue on with their healing journey,” she says. “It’s a place where they can connect with other survivors.”

The plans include a new building behind the old school, centred on the Seven Sacred Teachings and including space for cultural activities, sweats, and sharing circles. A new medicine garden and a new monument to the students who never came home is planned for the grounds, and a dock with canoes is planned for the riverbank in front of the property.

Daniels says it will be a way to reclaim the space, and let people connect with the land and water.

“At one time, they weren’t allowed to leave the grounds, and now it’s open and there’s freedom, and it’s just a way to relax,” she says.

The project is in its early stages. Daniels estimates it may take between 5 and 10 years to complete, and the museum will have to raise up to $30 million.

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