Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau answers questions from the media in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, August 8, 2018. Photo: Xinhua

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a visit Monday to the indigenous community of Kamloops where the remains of 215 children were found in May at a former residential school, apologizing for not coming sooner.

The visit followed strong criticisms directed at Trudeau for ignoring an earlier invitation to the community on the first national day of truth and reconciliation on September 30, and instead going on a family vacation.

"Instead of talking about truth and reconciliation, [everyone has] talked about me and that's on me. I take responsibility for that," he told a news conference.

"I am here today to say I wish I had been here a few weeks ago, and I deeply regret it," he said.

Seated next to him, Tk'emlups te Secwepemc chief Rosanne Casimir said: "It was a long-awaited moment to receive a personal hand of recognition and sympathy regarding this horrific confirmation of unmarked graves from the Canadian head of state."

She said her community had felt "shock, anger, sorrow and disbelief" over Trudeau's snub, but added: "Today is about making some positive steps forward and rectifying a mistake."

Trudeau has made fence-mending with Canada's more than 600 indigenous tribes a priority of his administration, and named the national day of reconciliation meant to pay tribute to victims of the residential schools at the center of a failed policy of forced assimilation of indigenous peoples.

Since the first discoveries in Kamloops five months ago, more than 1,200 unmarked indigenous graves have been found at other former school sites, and searches have been launched across Canada for more.

AFP