TEMISKAMING SHORES (Special) – Kirkland Lake District Composite is one of 10 schools from across Ontario that has received a Premier’s Award for Accepting Schools.

The awards were first presented in 2010-11.

In a news release, the province said the annual awards recognize teams of students, educators and parents “for creativity and leadership in creating positive school environments, and supporting student achievement and well-being.”

In a summary of the award to the Kirkland Lake school, the province said it recognized efforts “to heal a historically strained relationship with local Indigenous communities.”

They included visits by Matachewan First Nation elders, lessons in traditional drumming, and an opportunity for the community to learn about missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Students also took part in the Get Loud About Mental Health campaign, calling for mental health support in remote First Nations communities. They also staged a play about the legacy of residential schools.