A quilt that paid tribute to survivors of residential schools, which was stolen from the Timmins Museum last week, has been recovered.
The quilt was discovered on Tuesday morning inside the drop-off bin at the Timmins library.
Katherine Jeremiah Génier, the quilt’s designer, mentioned, “It’s in fairly good shape. It has a slight odor, but a wash will resolve that. Overall, it’s in good condition with no damage.”
The quilt was originally showcased at the museum as part of an exhibition featuring artwork by young Cree artists. It was intended to be exhibited at the Quilts for Survivors studio following the exhibition.
Génier shared that there was limited information on how the quilt was returned, except for a note attached to it.
“I am relieved that the individual returned it,” Génier expressed.
Génier confirmed that the quilt is no longer on exhibit at the museum. Instead, a new piece will be created for the exhibition, and the returned quilt will be displayed at the Quilts for Survivors studio.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Génier stated, “The incident was quite frustrating, but I want to stay focused on the primary purpose of creating the quilt, which is to honor survivors of residential schools, day schools, the 60s scoop, and the children who never returned home.”