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Kuper Island

Kuper Island

By: CBC
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An 8-part series that tells the stories of four students: three who survived and one who didn’t. They attended one of Canada’s most notorious residential schools – where unsolved deaths, abuse, and lies haunt the community and the survivors to this day. Hosted by Duncan McCue. For the best in true crime from CBC, ad-free, visit apple.co/cbctruecrime.

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Episodes
  • Introducing: Kuper Island

    Introducing: Kuper Island
    May 9 2022
    Long after the Kuper Island Residential School was torn down, the survivors are still haunted by what happened there. Investigative reporter Duncan McCue exposes buried police investigations, confronts perpetrators of abuse and witnesses a community trying to rebuild — literally on top of the old school’s ruins and the unmarked graves of Indigenous children. Episodes release Tuesdays, starting May 17.
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    3 mins
  • E1: A School They Called Alcatraz

    E1: A School They Called Alcatraz
    May 17 2022

    Duncan McCue travels to Penelakut, an island off the coast of B.C., and the site of the Kuper Island Residential School. The community has torn down the reviled building, but the dark memories of what happened at the nearly-century old institution linger. Survivors James and Tony Charlie give a tour of their old school grounds, and we look into the mystery of what happened to one boy, Richard Thomas, who did not make it out alive. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/kuper-island-transcripts-listen-1.6622551
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    32 mins
  • E2: Nights on the Boys’ Side

    E2: Nights on the Boys’ Side
    May 24 2022

    What was it like to be a student at one of the most notorious residential schools in Canada? Survivors James and Tony Charlie share their own account of recurring sexual abuse at the hands of their teachers, starting with a fateful trip to Montreal's Expo '67. Their stories speak to how abuse rotted all facets of school life — and how at Kuper Island, no child was spared. To find transcriptions for episodes of Kuper Island, please click here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/kuper-island-transcripts-listen-1.6622551
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    39 mins
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This story is told in a professional and informative manner. There is a human element that makes it relatabled. It's hard to believe the horrors that are commited by some people while hiding behind the Lord. They will answer for their crimes, and their punishment will be worse that any prison time here on Earth. I had no idea this had happened, and I thank you for sharing the story of yet another horrific injustice that white people inflicted upon the native population of north america. I am so thankful that my ancestors were recent immigrants to this country because I don't want to know that type of evil is within my bloodline.

Heartbreaking Story

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I felt this was such an honest, thorough account of survivors and witnesses to the unimaginable suffering inflicted on innocent children. It was hard to hear at times but necessary in order to understand the level of trauma, abuse and neglect that has affected generations of indigenous peoples right here in a country known in the world for its stance on human rights.
Duncan McCue and his team are, in my view, an example of professionalism and, what honest and constructive journalism looks like. Their compassion and tactfulness in their approach to the difficult conversations made for a heart warming counterbalance to the horror of the accounts of survivors and witnesses. In all its rawness, this series highlights a level of resilience, courage, strength and humanity that is inspiring to me. Thank you.

Listen up Canada

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