Ottawa prepared to release millions of records on residential schools

On December 3, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan said the federal government will release millions of files documenting the abuses committed at residential schools. His statement comes as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) prepares to take Ottawa to court on December 20 to gain access to the files. Although the government has released 937,000 documents to the TRC, millions of records are still sitting in archives across Canada. The TRC says it wants the remaining documents in order to fulfil its mandate. A spokesperson for the minister says the millions of remaining files will now be available by late June 2013. "This is a court-supervised process, it involves the churches, all of the other stakeholders and it involves 22 other governmental departments," the spokesperson says. "We remain committed to bringing closure to the legacy of residential schools." Canada.com | Globe and Mail