In 2010 while we were out Geocaching we found this site and its two cemeteries, the smaller of which had two stone cairns which caused us to stop and find out what they were about. After going home and researching what we found we started to learn the sad story of this place and residential schools in general. At the bottom of the page you can download two .PDF files that helped fill out the story. The Glenbow Museum in Calgary also had pictures and documents from the school.

Built in 1883 the Dunbow School, originally named St. Joseph's Industrial Residential School, was the first of three industrial schools in Western Canada that became the prototype for all the residential schools that followed across the Country.

Nothing remains at the site today except this Cemetery, where in 2001 the remains of some of the 73 children that died at the school were reburied after the Highwood River started washing away the original burial sites; and a few old dilapidated outbuildings on the nearby Farm .

The school was closed in 1924.

They best article we found on the school was one written by Ed Struzik in the Edmonton Journal on December 4, 2005. It is an excelent and well written article on what happened at Dunbow and Residential Schools in general. It describes very well the reasons many of the children died and how mistakes, including corruption, by the Canadian Government and the Catholic Church, led eventualy to the school closure. This should have been a signal that these schools were a bad idea.

The second artical appeared on page 4 of Vol. 1, Issue 1. of the ABORIGINAL FRAMEWORK NEWS by the Alberta Government. Page 4 describes why and how the remains of 34 of the 73 children where moved to a new small cemetery across the road from the original cemetery due to erosion by the Highwood River.

As mentioned above there are two cairns in the new cemetery and here are the plaques that are on them:

GPS co-ordinates to the small cemetery: N 50° 48.505 W 113° 47.438 see map below:

Please take the time to read all the reports from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Look particularly at Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (PDF) to learn how you can participate in making Canada a better and more inclusive place.