Create offence for residential-school denial
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to pass Bill C-254, adding a Criminal Code offence for public denial, downplaying or justification of the Indian Residential School system and fund education and survivor-led responses.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would create a specific criminal offence to deter public denial or justification of residential schools, offering legal accountability for harms that retraumatize Survivors.
- Supporting the bill aligns federal action with reconciliation commitments and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action to address denialism and anti-Indigenous hate.
- Mandated funding for public education and survivor-led, community responses could support healing, awareness and local prevention of hate-driven misinformation.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Criminalizing statements risks conflicting with freedom of expression principles and may be challenged as overbroad in restricting historical debate.
- Investigating and proving intent to “wilfully promote hatred” or to “downplay” a historical harm could be difficult, leading to uneven enforcement.
- Criminal law may be a blunt tool for countering misinformation; investment in education and restorative community measures might be more effective and less polarizing.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Misinformation that denies or distorts the history and harms of the residential school system continues to retraumatize Survivors and their families and contributes to rising anti Indigenous hate in Canada; Protecting Indigenous peoples from hate based misinformation aligns with Canada’s commitments to reconciliation and with the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action; The federal government has a responsibility to protect Indigenous peoples from hate and the incitement of violence, and has the authority to prevent the promotion of hatred against identifiable groups through the Criminal Code; Bill C-254, introduced by MP Leah Gazan in the House of Commons on October 31, 2025, would amend the Criminal Code to create an offence of wilfully promoting hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying, or justifying the Indian Residential School system in public statements. We, the undersigned, Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to support and advance Bill C-254 through all stages of the legislative process and pass it into law. 1. Affirm the federal government’s obligation to combat anti Indigenous hate, including public denial or distortion of the residential school system; and 2. Ensure adequate resources for public education, Survivor led initiatives, and community based responses to residential school denialism and anti Indigenous hate.
Government response
No government response is available yet.