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Chesterfield Inlet (Turquetil Hall)

 -  1954 -1969

Religious Entity: Catholic

In 1954, Roman Catholic missionaries opened St. Mary’s residence at Chesterfield Inlet in what is now Nunavut. The students who lived in the residence, which was rebuilt and enlarged on a number of occasions, attended the local day school. The residence, renamed Turquetil Hall in 1961, was built to house 80, but enrolment quickly reached 100. Additional students were lodged in the Catholic hospital. Turquetil Hall was closed in 1969. In 1995, the government of the Northwest Territories released a report concluding that many of the students had been physically and sexually abused at both the school and the residence.

Students sitting at desks in Chesterfield Inlet school
Group of students from Chesterfield Inlet
Group of students outside in the snow