Ann Calahan (far left) and Josephine Monkman were close friends at Birtle Residential School but hadn't seen each other in 50 years till they picked up their friendship again outside Central Block, Parliament Hill, on June 11, 2008. The lost time had no affect and they rebonded "like sisters."
The Presbyterian Church in Canada invited five survivors of our schools at Birtle and Cecilia Jeffrey, along with members of their families, to be present with Moderator Rev. Cheol Soon Park and other representatives of the church at the historic apology ceremony in Ottawa, which was delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the House. The Moderator and the five survivors attended a special reception following the apology where they met the Prime Minister, the Governor General, National Chief Phil Fontaine and other dignitaries. Some had copies of the apology signed by Harper and Fontaine.Their family members, which included two other residential school survivors, watched the apology in a special viewing room in the West Block with Principal Clerk Stephen Kendall, former general secretary of the Life and Mission Agency Ian Morrison, and healing and reconciliation animator Lori Ransom.
