Lejac residential school was on the shore of Fraser Lake, and that鈥檚 where former student and survivor Francis Holland Sr. started walking with his family on the weekend of Orange Shirt Day.

Francis, who turned 70 that Sunday, was there with his daughter Heather Holland, son Stacy Holland, and grandkids Tristen Holland and Alyias Naziel. They were spending three days walking to 亚洲天堂 Lake, where they were escorted by local RCMP Cst. Deb Gable with their thanks.

Federal agents of a different sort were much less welcome when Francis was taken away without his parents鈥� knowledge from Pendleton Bay on Babine Lake, and forcefully enrolled in a program intended to take away his language and culture.

He was six years old.

鈥淢e and a couple of boys were playing around 鈥� and an Indian agent pulled up in a green suburban. The boys were asking him 鈥榳ho were you looking for.鈥� And they said right away 鈥� at that time they called me Frank 鈥� 鈥榳e鈥檙e looking for Frank Holland,鈥� 鈥� explained Francis.

鈥淎s soon as I heard my name I started to run away. All them boys, they caught up with me and they brought me back on all fours. The Indian agent got out of his suburban and opened the back door, and in I went.鈥�

From there he was driven to 亚洲天堂 Lake and set up with clothes and put on a train.

鈥淎nd the Indian agent said to the conductor that 鈥楩rank鈥檚 going to go to Lejac. Somebody鈥檚 going to meet him over there,鈥� 鈥� described Francis.

When he arrived at Lejac, Francis saw a group of other First Nations kids already there.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think anything of it; I just thought what am I doing here? Later on I found out I was going to go to school here forever,鈥� he said.

Francis would spend the next 10 years at Lejac, Prince George College, and Kamloops at another residential school. He described it as doing 鈥�10 years of hard labour.鈥�

The treatment towards students was violent. Speaking his own language got Francis a mouth full of soap that he had to eat and a strapping.

鈥淎 thick strap. We鈥檇 get strapped 20 times on the bum and both hands,鈥� he said.

To keep his language, Francis said he would speak to himself. One time, another young student who didn鈥檛 understand the language thought he was swearing and told the teacher, who proceeded to punish Francis.

Francis said he doesn鈥檛 hold anger from what happened to him.

鈥淛ust bring the whole issue up for who I was and why I went to the residential school without my parents鈥� knowledge,鈥� said Francis, explaining why he tells his story.

He had two sisters who also went to residential school there: Madelene and Selena.

Lejac residential school closed in 1976, but the effects are lasting for Francis鈥檚 family.

Both of Heather鈥檚 parents went to residential school, with her mom Evelyn Williams being from Witset.

鈥淭his is why it鈥檚 such a meaningful walk, so that I can honour my parents and all residential school survivors, their descendents, which is his children, and all residential school survivors that are passed on,鈥� said Heather.

鈥淚鈥檓 an inter-generational survivor myself.鈥�

She said recognition of this past was important for everyone.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an important issue for reconciliation and unity among not only Indigenous people but everyone as a nation and as a community,鈥� said Heather.

The daughter of the residential school survivor said while things were getting better, there was much room for improvement.

She also wanted to send a special thank-you to Cst. Gable for the escort into 亚洲天堂 Lake, where the walkers were welcomed with honking horns, singing, drumming and 鈥� as Heather described it 鈥� 鈥渟ound of joy.鈥�