Ontario Investing $7.7 Million to Support Indian Residential School Survivors

August 11, 2025
  • Our government is supporting community-led, Survivor-centered programming for burial investigations at former Residential Schools by providing $7.7 million in new funding for the Indian Residential School Community Engagement Fund (IRSCEF) in 2025-2026.
  • Launched in 2023, the IRSCEF directly responds to the need for funding towards initiatives beyond the community-led investigations at each of the 18 designated Indian Residential Schools in Ontario.
  • IRSCEF supports culturally grounded initiatives for Survivors, their families and Indigenous communities affected by ongoing burial investigations at former Residential Schools. Eligible activities include:
    • Survivor engagement, gatherings and commemoration initiatives,
    • Public education and awareness, including initiatives that combat denialism,
    • Culturally appropriate mental health and wellness supports, and
    • Research activities including connecting community members to ongoing investigations.
  • Applications for IRSCEF must be submitted through the Transfer Payment Ontario website by September 8, 2025. Eligible Indigenous communities and organizations can apply for up to $250,000 in funding for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
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