GRT to pause service Friday afternoon in remembrance of Indigenous residential school victims

Waterloo -

Grand River Transit is pausing bus services on Friday at 2:15 p.m. for two minutes and 15 seconds in remembrance of the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were found at a residential school in British Columbia.

For safety reasons, buses and trains will only pause if safe to do so. Buses will not pause if they are travelling on a highway.

"Pausing GRT service for two minutes and 15 seconds to remember the young lives lost is one way for our community to grieve together,” Regional Chair Karen Redman said in a release Thursday. “I encourage all who are able to pause at the same time for a moment of silence to honour those lost as well as their families, and reflect on the impact that residential schools continues to have on our communities today."

Many Region of Waterloo staff members will also pause for a moment of silence on Friday afternoon to reflect on tragedy, according to the release.

"The Region and all of its employees express our deepest sympathies to the victims who lives were cut short at this residential school and all the survivors and families impacted by the residential school system in Canada," the release states.