Portage and Main shut down for memorial walks

Winnipeggers are gathering this afternoon in memory of the more than 1,000 children recently discovered in unmarked graves outside residential schools.

Two events are taking place almost simultaneously in downtown Winnipeg.

The No Pride in Genocide walk started at noon at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, while the Every Child Matters event started at 1:00 p.m. at Portage and Main.

Winnipeg Police have shut down the major intersection to accommodate the walks. They expect things to open up within a few hours.

Recent discoveries at three former residential schools in B.C. and Saskatchewan have revealed 1,115 unmarked graves, prompting the cancellation of many Canada Day celebrations across the country.

Anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their residential school experience can access the 24-hour, toll-free and confidential National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.