A survey of a small segment of the land surrounding a former B.C. residential school has identified 93 sites of "potential human burials," according to representatives of a nearby First Nation. CBC Canada reports this.

The chief and council of Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) revealed on Tuesday preliminary findings of their investigation into St. Joseph's Mission Residential School and nearby Onward Ranch, based on a probe of 14 out of 470 hectares that have been identified as areas of interest.

St. Joseph's opened in 1891 and operated until 1981.

The 93 sites were identified using ground-penetrating radar, along with aerial and terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors. While the 93 sites show "reflections" that suggest human burials, the only way to confirm that would be through excavation.

WLFN launched the survey after last spring's discovery of potential human burial sites next to the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.