The worst university in Canada? (Thompson Rivers University)

When Frances Widdowson gave her acceptance speech for the George Jonas Freedom Award in Toronto, she referred to Thompson Rivers University (TRU) as the “worst university in Canada” (she had not yet visited the University of Winnipeg). This is at 24:39 of the Toronto speech.

The reason why she asserted this was because TRU had pushed Economics professor Derek Pyne out of the institution for criticizing his colleagues for publishing in predatory journals. Widdowson interviewed Pyne about his case in Kamloops in May 2025.

TRU also can be considered to be the “worst university in Canada” because it has been one of the major propagandists in pushing the Kamloops “grave error deception”. This is the deception that has been perpetrated concerning the Kamloops Indian Band’s claim, made on May 27, 2021, that the “remains of 215 children” had been “confirmed” in the old apple orchard on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Kamloops Indian Band said that some of these children “were as young as three years old”.

These claims were shown to be false on July 15, 2021, when the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) operator Sarah Beaulieu stated that 215 “remains of…children” had not been “confirmed”. Instead, she said that GPR had detected 200 “targets of interest” that “presented as burials”. The reason why the number was 200, and no longer 215, was because 15 of the “anomalies” were in an area that had been previously excavated by the Simon Fraser University archaeology department, and no remains had been found there.

In spite of it being known that no remains had been found, TRU held an event in September 2021, which showcased “The 215” exhibit by Johnny Bandura. Bandura’s exhibit is about the “215 children” who were falsely claimed to be buried in the Kamloops apple orchard.

Two years later, on the third annual day of “Truth and Reconciliation”, TRU president Brett Fairbairn sat down with Ted Gottfriedson Jr. for a conversation. In this conversation, Ted Gottfriedson refers to “the day they confirmed Le Estcwicwey” (The 215) at 1:38. President Fairbairn asks about the community’s “responsibility to honour them [The 215]” at 2:16. Gottfriedson then talks about the community “hosting the final resting spot of these children” and “ensuring that these children are properly cared for” (2:23).

The next year, on the third “truth and reconciliation” holiday, Ted Gottfriedson Jr. sat down with the Chancellor of Thompson Rivers University, DeDe DeRose. In this discussion Gottfriedson talks about “performing the work to confirm Le Estcwicwey” and that “it pretty hard to find those children” (0:52). DeRose makes reference to “as harsh as the truth was when the graves were discovered, for us as indigenous people it was confirmation of what we already knew” (2:42).

In its “proof” for its 2025 calendar, TRU notes that “Le Estcwicwéy̓” (The 215) were “confirmed at Kamloops Indian Residential School” on May 23, 2021.

On May 27, 2025, Frances Widdowson, Kathy Drake and Simon Hergott did a Spectrum Street Epistemology session on the claim “The Remains of 215 Children Have Been Found” at Thompson Rivers University. At 15:07, Steve Pottle, the Director of Risk and Safety Services, told Widdowson et al. that they were on the “First House of the Tkemlups” and therefore should not do the session. At 17:58 Widdowson tells Pottle that they are not leaving the campus because they are upholding the academic mission of Thompson Rivers University.

On October 15, 2025, Frances Widdowson was sent a trespass notice from TRU. In this notice, TRU wrongly stated that Widdowson “record[ed] a presentation about the unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School” and this required authorization. It then went on to state that “It is notable and deeply troubling that you attended TRU and engaged in these behaviours on the fourth anniversary of the announcement that unmarked graves were found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Given your knowledge of the history of residential
schools in Canada, we view your attendance at TRU on this anniversary as an
exceptionally insensitive and harmful provocation”.

In response to this letter, Widdowson states the following: “Piss off, Thompson Rivers University. Your ‘trespass notice’ is unconstitutional. Prepare to be shamed!”