RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:Catholic Church - The Gift That Keeps Giving The Catholic Church was not responsible for the policy of residential schools. This was policy set by the British colonial Administration and encouraged by Queen Victoria. Per Wikipedia the first Canadian residential school was established in 1830. Well before Sir JA MacD's time and a similar and more anti aboriginal policy was established in Australia and administered by another Christian denomination. If anyone should apologize, it should be the Queen and British PM. What I find strange in this debate, is Victoria's Mayor who is banning JA- M etc. and not calling for the renaming of it. This is hypocracy IMO. While, I agree that the residential school concept was bad, Churches administrated them on behalf of government and some may have been bad. It was a typical Colonial policy, practised by all empires. Let's not forget that it was government who hunted and captured these children, not churches. These churches operated on shoe string bases and Indian Affairs did not respond the the request for additional funds to properly address these issues. Residential schools were common back then for the "white folk", who lived in remote locations and wanted to educate their children. SO LETs DEMAND A ROYAL A ROYAL apology not one from their pope or any administrative organization. Off all the Colonial empires, I feel the British were better, as they provided the framework for good government and laws.