REGINA -- The Archdiocese of Regina has confirmed that a statue of a Roman Catholic priest who founded one of the first residential schools will be removed from the cemetery where it now stands.
In a statement to CTV News, the Archdiocese of Regina said the Star Blanket First Nation, the town and the church have agreed to remove the statue of Father Hugonard from the Sacred Heart Catholic cemetery in Lebret, about one hour northeast of Regina.
The statue of Father Hugonard was created in 1926 and stood near the entrance of the Lebret Indian Industrial Residential School until the late 1990s, when it was then moved to the cemetery.
Hugonard opened the school in 1884. It was one of the first industrial schools to open and was the last to close in Canada in 1998.
The archdiocese said discussions have been ongoing as to where it should move the statue to. Initially, there were calls to move the statue to the Lebret Museum, but there are concerns the statue would be too heavy for the structure.
According to the statement, the statue’s relocation will be finalized in the coming days.
