The Quebec government and Catholic oblates have yet to produce critical records from residential schools.

As First Nations in Quebec discuss possible searches of historic residential school sites, the Quebec government and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a religious order that administered four Catholic residential schools in the province, have yet to turn over records that could aid in that process.

Despite obligations outlined in the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and calls to action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015, this remains the case. "Call to Action 71 explicitly states that provincial coroners' offices and vital statistics should give over data that chronicle the loss of children in schools," Raymond Frogner, head of archives for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, stated.

"We haven't gotten them from Quebec," Frogner explained. "We're resuming talks with them." The facility, established in 2015, is the primary keeper of residential school documents in the country, including those obtained by the TRC. Frogner added that they are also attempting to get further information from Quebec's oblates, who have already submitted some documentation as part of the TRC process, but not all.

Parts of the Codex Historicus, a form of log of the missionary order's operations, as well as photographs, human resources records, and instructor biographies, are being sought by the center. Last month's discovery of what are believed to be unmarked gravesites of children's bones close to a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., prompted Frogner to re-establish contact with the Oblates' francophone branch, whose English-Canadian counterpart administered the Kamloops institution.

"Recent events have clearly added urgency to the situation," he said, adding that the oblates appear eager to cooperate on releasing more documents and that a meeting has already been scheduled. "I expect to see some action on this pretty soon."

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