The Ontario government is investing $7 million through the Indian Residential School Community Engagement Fund (IRSCEF) to support community-led healing, commemoration and initiatives that honour missing children, Survivors, families and communities affected by the Residential School System.
The fund provides up to $250,000 to eligible Indigenous communities and organizations to support engagement, public education and research activities that address the impacts of the Residential School System.
“The voices and priorities of Indigenous communities continue to guide our approach as we advance meaningful reconciliation in Ontario and support the sacred work of healing, truth-telling and commemoration,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation. “We remain committed to working in partnership with communities to support Indigenous-led initiatives that honour Survivors, the children who never returned home, their families and communities.”
Among other initiatives, the fund can be used to support ceremonies, monuments, healing gardens, interpretive displays and commemorative plaques that foster opportunities for reflection, remembrance and storytelling. IRSCEF funding also continues to support community engagement, mental health and addictions help, staffing and research activities.
As Indigenous communities continue their efforts to commemorate and document Residential Schools, Ontario remains committed to advancing meaningful reconciliation by ensuring community resources reflect these priorities. Funding applications for the IRSCEF are open until September 16, 2026.
