Kuper Island

Eight-part documentary on students at a notorious Canadian residential school AI summary

CBC Visit website › True Crime · EN · 10 episodes · latest 2026-09-29

Rank 1716
0 upvotes, 0 downvotes
0
Share
Embed a widget with this podcast’s standing on your website

What it is about

An 8-part series that tells the stories of four students: three who survived and one who didn’t. They attended one of Canada’s most notorious residential schools – where unsolved deaths, abuse, and lies haunt the community and the survivors to this day. Hosted by Duncan McCue. For the best in true crime from CBC, ad-free, visit apple.co/cbctruecrime.

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
Copyright © CBC 2026

Listen

Available at these services — the RSS feed works in any podcast app.

Apple Podcasts Deezer

Latest episodes

  1. The kid who confronted his abuser at residential school (via See You in Court)

    2026-09-29 · 37 min

    Willie Blackwater is just 13 when he holds a knife to his rapist's throat, demanding an end to his recurring abuse. It’s the first time Willie stands up to his residential school supervisor, but it’s far from the last.…

  2. E8: Every Child Matters

    2022-07-04 · 52 min · Season 1, episode 8

    The team tracks down the last person to ever see Richard Thomas alive at Kuper Island Residential School. Donnie Sampson was just 10 years old at the time and has disturbing memories of the day — that include a familiar…

  3. E7: Hurt People Hurt People

    2022-06-27 · 46 min · Season 1, episode 7

    The children who attended Kuper Island Residential School faced a terrible aftermath trying to process what happened. The abuse they suffered there often coloured their relationships with family and community — with…

  4. E6: It Didn't Feel Like Justice

    2022-06-20 · 37 min · Season 1, episode 6

    We explore what really happened during a 1990s RCMP task force investigation triggered by the high number of allegations of sexual abuses at the Kuper Island Residential School, and track down a former staff member who…

  5. E5: Feeding the Dead

    2022-06-13 · 37 min · Season 1, episode 5

    An archaeologist uses the stories of survivors and a ground-penetrating radar machine to pinpoint where children who died at the Kuper Island school were buried, sometimes in places where no one ever wanted them to be…

  6. E4: What happened to Richard?

    2022-06-06 · 44 min · Season 1, episode 4

    Richard Thomas was smart, kind and well-loved. He was having no problems in school and he wanted to go further in education. Then inexplicably, days before his graduation, he’s found dead in the Kuper Island school gym.…

  7. E3: Sink or Swim

    2022-05-30 · 36 min · Season 1, episode 3

    Survivor Belvie Brebber tells us about her five years at Kuper Island Residential School, a time filled with fear, cruelty and sexual violence. Belvie makes it out alive, but her younger brother Richard Thomas does not.…

  8. E2: Nights on the Boys’ Side

    2022-05-23 · 39 min · Season 1, episode 2

    What was it like to be a student at one of the most notorious residential schools in Canada? Survivors James and Tony Charlie share their own account of recurring sexual abuse at the hands of their teachers, starting…

  9. E1: A School They Called Alcatraz

    2022-05-16 · 32 min · Season 1, episode 1

    Duncan McCue travels to Penelakut, an island off the coast of B.C., and the site of the Kuper Island Residential School. The community has torn down the reviled building, but the dark memories of what happened at the…

  10. Introducing: Kuper Island

    2022-05-09 · 3 min

    Long after the Kuper Island Residential School was torn down, the survivors are still haunted by what happened there. Investigative reporter Duncan McCue exposes buried police investigations, confronts perpetrators of…

Episode details from the publisher’s feed. Playback happens at the publisher.

Publisher details

Oldest episode in feed
05/2022 · over 4 years
Typical length
36 min
Format
Serial Meant to be heard in order

Kuper Island in the rankings

The best True Crime podcasts The best English-language podcasts All rankings ›

For podcasters

Is this podcast yours? Verify it — afterwards you can correct details, get the widget for your website, and we let you know when your podcast is nominated or wins.

Without an account you can use an email address on your show’s own domain — we create the account along the way. The other methods need a login.

Similar podcasts

Crime Story Biweekly interviews with journalists investigating notable crime cases CBC Dirtbag Climber Five-part investigation into the unsolved murder of a dirtbag climber CBC Evil By Design Investigation into decades of sexual assault allegations against a fashion CBC Hunting the Suicide Salesman Investigation into online forums facilitating suicide and a salesman CBC Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo Investigation into the disappearance of a Cree girl taken by child welfare CBC Sea of Lies Documentary on an international con artist and the crimes that exposed him CBC

Related by topic

Survivors Eight-episode series on residential school survivors and their lasting impacts CJSW 90.9 FM Residential Schools Three-part series on the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada Historica Canada Prisons Inside/Out Documentary series on Canada's correctional system and rehabilitation programs Correctional Service Canada Calling All Kin Documentary series on Indigenous child welfare reform in British Columbia Calling All Kin Island Crime Documentary series on unsolved murders and disappearances on Vancouver Island Laura Palmer The Cult Queen of Canada Documentary series on a cult leader's takeover of a rural Canadian town CBC