The Anglican Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada and the United Church of Canada have collectively donated $1.5 million to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg.
The donation, which was announced at a June 18 gifting ceremony in Winnipeg, will be used to assist in the creation of a new permanent home for the centre at the Fort Garry campus of the University of Manitoba.
Each of the three denominations contributed $500,000, which will be put toward the $100-million cost of the new centre.
To date, the centre has raised $92.5 million, including $60 million from the federal government. Construction is set to begin in 2027, with doors opening in 2029.
“Once complete, our new home will be much more than a building,” said Shasta Chartrand, who directs communications for the centre.
“It will serve as a state-of-the art research centre dedicated to uncovering and sharing the true history of Canada’s residential school system, a sacred space for survivors and families to heal, and an international learning lodge to ensure these truths are never forgotten.”
The gift from the three denominations is a “tangible step toward accountability and acknowledgment of the churches’ historic responsibilities in operating the residential school system and the profound, ongoing harm it caused,” Chartrand said.
The centre had asked the three groups to make a gift towards the centre. The centre is also in discussions with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops about making a contribution.
The donations come as all three denominations have reported operating deficits at the national level in recent years.
‘Journey of reconciliation’
Michael Blair, general secretary of the United Church of Canada, attended the gifting ceremony on behalf of his denomination.
For the United Church, the gift was appropriate because of its involvement in running residential schools in Canada, because of its support for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and due to its “commitment to continue the journey of reconciliation,” Blair said.
It was also a way for the church to live into its 1986 apology to Indigenous people for its involvement in colonization in Canada, and its 1998 apology for its involvement in residential schools, he added.
For Blair, the donation will help create a “proper home and a place where both Indigenous Canadians and settler Canadians can come and learn and experience that particular chapter in the life of the Canadian experience and build their capacity for the work of reconciliation.”
Victor Kim, principal clerk for the Presbyterian Church in Canada, made similar observations In his remarks at the gifting ceremony.
“[W]e recognize that the truth about what has happened must be told and that the generations that come after us must have access to the stories, documents, and resources that bear witness to this painful truth,” he said in his remarks.
The Presbyterian Church’s contribution reflects its “commitment to honouring our relationship with Indigenous people,” he said. It also reflects the letter and spirit of the apology the denomination made in 2025 for its complicity in colonization and the residential school system, he said.
In a statement, the Anglican Church of Canada said it is “deeply honoured to contribute to this home for remembrance, education and healing as part of our commitment to reconciliation and to meaningful action on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.”
The new centre is being designed by the Tawaw Architecture Collective Inc., which is led by a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta.
The collective will work closely with survivors, elders, traditional knowledge keepers and the centre to ensure the building and ceremonial lands “reflect First Nations, Métis and Inuit teachings, culturally informed design principles, and land-based approaches to gathering and learning,” the centre said.
