On the afternoon of Jan. 20, a group of demonstrators — some of whom were associated with the unrecognized political party OneBC — gathered outside of the Student Union Building (SUB) at UFV’s Abbotsford campus. The group arrived without prior authorization to challenge indigenization efforts on university campuses, and what they called “false narratives” about residential school history. Demonstrators engaged with students, and both a staff member and student said they were shoved. Although UFV security monitored the area, several students reported feeling unsafe.
Former Mount Royal Professor Francis Widdowson, who led the demonstration, told The Cascade she was at UFV to question Dr. Sarah Beaulieu — an assistant professor of social, culture, and media studies and a faculty associate with the Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) Hub — about the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) work conducted at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021, which identified 200 targets of interest consistent with potential human burials.
An incident report filed by Dr. Michael Batu, associate professor of economics, stated that the group entered Building D around 1 p.m. looking for Beaulieu. After learning she was not there, they attempted to locate her classroom before ultimately setting up outside the SUB.
The group also demanded that the UFV library change wording on documents pertaining to the possible Kamloops burial sites. Kenley Neufeld, UFV’s acting university librarian, told The New Westminster Times that the wording was changed in response to the demonstrators’ demands.
“We went ahead and made some changes to the website in order to better reflect what we believe occurred and some resources for follow-up by the students… we don’t say 215 dead children, which is what it said before.”
UFV leadership addressed the incident the following day. Dr. James Mandigo, president and vice-chancellor, issued a statement reaffirming the university’s commitment to truth-telling, reconciliation, and relationships with Indigenous communities. He emphasized that the demonstration was unsanctioned and that “behaviour involving harassment, intimidation, or physical contact is not acceptable at UFV.”
Video footage obtained by The Cascade shows the demonstrators engaging in transphobic rhetoric with students. A UFV staff member, whose name is being withheld for safety reasons, told The Cascade that they were shoved and mocked during an interaction with the group.
“I got shoved, and I told the cameraman ‘come on, that’s not necessary.’ Then a student was trying to get by, and he shoved him.”
They added that the encounter felt especially jarring given the sense of safety they usually experience at UFV.
“I [have] gratefulness [for] the privilege of having protected safe spaces and work — so many people can’t have that … I took it very personally when that unsanctioned protest happened; that it violated that safety.”
The UFV staff member said they reported the incident to campus security immediately, but no action was taken to remove the group. They took the next day off work due to the emotional impact.
Jordan Holmes, a student present at the demonstration, said that it must be made clear that demonstrators like this are not welcome at UFV.
“These are not people that any of us want on campus. These are homophobes. These are racists … They want people to not organize and actually fight back. And I think that that’s kind of what UFV wanted, too.”
Mandigo’s statement also included links to support resources for students and employees. The previously referenced staff member commented they appreciated the statement but felt it did not address concerns about future safety procedures.
“Those links and resources … they are helpful [and] good, but I think a follow?up very quickly about procedure change to reinstate safety … what about next time? What’s the protocol? What’s the [next] steps? And everyone should know.”
Student, staff, and faculty sources told The Cascade that they knew the demonstrators planned to come to campus, but no official warning was issued by the university to students prior to the group’s arrival.
The demonstrators returned to Building A on the evening of Jan. 21, attempting to attend an event hosted by the Debate Club and the Political Science Student Association. Security was called and they were escorted off campus.
At the Xyólhmet Ye Syéwiqwélh (Taking Care of Our Children) panel hosted by UFV’s Peace and Reconciliation Center (PARC) on Jan. 22, The Cascade spoke with Mandigo about the incidents of Jan. 20 and 21.
“It was an unsanctioned event. They showed up on our property, and we have no control over [that]. [We monitor] the situation, make sure people are safe and we’re not poking the bear.”
Mandigo said he was “not aware that there was hate speech that was involved,” adding that any evidence of physical contact or hate speech should be shared with security.
He did not answer The Cascade’s question on whether the university plans to put safeguards in place should future events like this happen, but praised the Debate Club for their handling of the Jan. 21 event.
“I was so proud of [the students], they didn’t take the bait … As soon as security got there, they escorted them out.”
Keith Carlson, Director of PARC, explained at the event that phrases like “show me the bodies” echo a long colonial history of settlers desecrating Indigenous graves. For many Indigenous people, speech and signs like those carried by the demonstrators evoke generations of stolen remains and broken trust.
Seven days after the demonstrators came to UFV, the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations issued a public call for universities to ban residential school denialists from campuses.
“The BCAFN strongly condemns the continued OneBC demonstrations occurring at several university campuses across British Columbia. These demonstrations undermine and diminish the impacts of residential schools and the lived experiences of First Nations in BC, the effects of which must be taken seriously by BC’s post-secondary institutions.”
This incident has raised a broader question among staff and students: how does the university plan to move forward after what the community feels is a violation of safety and a failure to uphold commitments to reconciliation?
Additional files obtained by Sky S. Terrones.
Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.