The Halton Children’s Aid Society (Halton CAS) is devastated by the announcement confirming the deaths of 97 children at the former Mohawk Institute Residential School (Mohawk Institute) in Brantford, Ontario. This information came through a collaboration with Know History, a professional historical research firm who indicated the 97 children died from illness or injury.

According to media reports, Know History and the Survivor’s Secretariat have worked together for nine months, resulting in the identification of 4,581 names of children who attended the former Mohawk Institute as well as 725 names of people who worked there in some capacity. The team has also discovered over 12,000 records relevant to the institute across 23 institutions.

At the Halton Children’s Aid Society (Halton CAS), the health and safety of our children, youth, staff, resource providers and volunteers remains our top priority; we continue to take a proactive approach to protect those we serve. We want to do our part to continue to limit the spread of infection and ensure we are able to meet the needs of our community.

In response to the evolving COVID-19 situation, the Province of Ontario has identified children’s aid societies as an essential service; therefore,

**Please be assured the public can continue to access child protection services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 905.333.4441 or 866.607.6547 (KIDS)**

As of September 6, 2022, our Burlington office will be open from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Friday. Our Milton Office is open for family visits; however, visits continue to be by appointment only.

these communities. One example is the discovery of 215 unmarked burials at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia last year followed by additional discoveries in other communities including right here in Ontario. Locating unmarked graves at former residential school sites is a reminder of the abuse that residential school policies inflicted on Indigenous children, their families and their communities. Indigenous communities continue to mourn the loss of children and generations due to the residential school system.

June is Pride month, a time to celebrate the diversity and many contributions of 2SLGBTQ+ communities across Canada. Pride month also reflects on the obstacles 2SLGBTQ+ people face – and continue to experience – in our communities and in the workplace. The work is not over.

The Halton Children’s Aid Society is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming workplace for everyone. Pride month reminds us all to reflect on the spaces we occupy and the system of which we are a part. Child welfare agencies operate under the historical context of white supremacy, colonialism and heteronormative ideals of family rearing. The current legacies of these historical contexts result in inequitable outcomes experienced by the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Today we mark the painful anniversary of a horrific act of hate-motivated terrorism that occurred in London, Ontario. On June 6, 2021, four members of the Afzaal family were killed and a young boy was left without a family. The Afzaals were very active in London’s Muslim community.

Hatred, racism and discrimination have no place in our world. This anniversary is a tragic reminder that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism – and all forms of racism – are real and continue to exist in Ontario and in Canada.

The Halton Children’s Aid Society (Halton CAS) remains steadfast that we all must play a part to keep our communities safe. We must speak out against issues of hate, violence, racism and discrimination when they occur. No one should ever live in fear because of their faith or their identity.

To the Muslim communities in London, Halton Region and across the country, Halton CAS stands in solidarity with you.

2022. This legislation will make it more difficult for educators to speak to students about 2SLGBTQ+ issues, identities, sexual orientation or gender expression. Educators will only be allowed to teach information that is deemed age or developmentally appropriate by the state. This legislation would mean if a child speaks to an educator about their identity, that information can be disclosed to the child’s parents. Although the legislation does not forbid use of the word ‘gay,’ parents are given the right to sue the school board if the law is violated. This creates an environment in which issues pertaining to gender identity and sexual orientation, for all students, cannot be openly or safely discussed. Students wanting to discuss, or learn about gender and sexual orientation, cannot do so without consequences. In addition, this could result in negative ramifications for educators who do not follow the legislation. This legislation is yet another attack on the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

It has been one year since we learned from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation of the confirmation of 215 unmarked burials at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Today, we remember and honour those children whose lives where tragically lost and all those who continue to suffer from this loss and the legacy of trauma left by the Residential School system.

For many of us, this was the first time learning that so many children lost their lives because of the operation of Residential Schools, whether it be through disease, violence, neglect, accidents or perished as they tried to escape. These facts were known to First Nation, Métis and Inuit families for generations. Since this disturbing discovery, many Indigenous communities in Ontario and across Canada are continuing the difficult work of searching, identifying and investigating potential burial sites on and around former Residential Schools sites.

The Halton Children’s Aid Society (Halton CAS) is horrified by the senseless, targeted shooting that claimed the lives of ten innocent Black people and wounded three others in Buffalo, New York on May 14, 2022. This shooting was motivated by hate, violence and racist white supremacist ideology as Black people were targeted. These acts of senseless violence are rooted in extremism and remind us that the call to address anti-Black racism – in all its forms – requires vigilance as it remains ever-present today. This incident is a strong example of why the work of social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion is so very important.