Court denies deadline extension for Indian Day School compensation claims
CBC
Indian day school survivors will not be given more time to apply for compensation, according to a Federal Court decision released on Thursday.
The decision marks the end of a legal battle filed by Audrey Hill and Six Nations of the Grand River elected band council. They sought a deadline extension for day school survivor's to file, claims given the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and alleged deficiencies in the process.
But the court has dismissed the motion and has refused to extend the deadline.
"We had thought that the record was very clear that the pandemic had a very negative impact on the ability for people to make claims," said Louis Sokolov, legal council for Hill.
CBC attempted to reach Audrey Hill and Six Nations of the Grand River elected chief Mark Hill for comment but did not hear back by deadline.
Audrey, no relation to Mark, is a day school survivor from Six Nations of the Grand River, located in southern Ontario. Six Nations had 18 day schools, more than any other First Nation community in the country.
Of the approximate 28,000 Six Nations members, an estimated 15,000 are Indian day school class members.
The initial day school settlement agreement gave survivors one year to file compensation claims but the deadline was extended by two-and-half years giving survivors a new date of July 13, 2022.
But in December 2022 Hill and Six Nations of Grand River filed a motion to have that date moved again to Dec. 31, 2025.
Council argued that the dissemination of information was hampered by the pandemic, there was a lack of personalized assistance for class members, class size estimates were unreliable, a lack of in-person help, and compounding problems such as a lack of internet and language barriers were among the issues identified in the process.
In 2019 the Canadian government and survivors settled a class-action lawsuit out of court for $1.27 billion in individual compensation payments and $200 million for a legacy fund.
Indian day school survivors were eligible between $10,000 and $200,000 in compensation depending on the severity of the harm suffered.
Federal Indian day schools and the federal day school system, like residential schools, were an attempt to assimilate Indigenous children by removing them from their language and culture.
Students of the day schools often suffered from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse in the institutions usually run by religious organizations.
People as young as 45 should be invited to provincial and territorial programs to screen for colorectal cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society urged on Wednesday.
The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) has opened an office and retail space in Ottawa to create a stronger presence in the capital since removing itself from the Métis National Council in 2024.
Toronto resident Winhan Wong's lung cancer journey began in 2016, with a nagging cough that just wouldn't go away.
Last month, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak pointed out on social media that history was made this year because there are a record 164 female chiefs serving across the country.
Most of humanity has a great propensity to think in the short-term, but generally, long-term considerations — air pollution, deforestation and emissions, for example — just aren't our thing.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold in early April 2020, Kolter Bouchard was just weeks into fatherhood when he noticed a lump on his neck.
Advocates and health care providers say they remain concerned about First Nations kids seeking services under Jordan's Principle even after the Canadian government’s recent promise of $1.55 billion in funding.
Contrary to science fiction, black holes are not portals to other dimensions or cosmic vacuum cleaners that swallow up everything around them.
An attempt to preserve files documenting some of the worst harms caused by Indian Residential Schools could soon head to Parliament.
A new survey suggests about three million Canadian adults are currently taking GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro and that many more would like to, but cost is a barrier.
For years, people living in Canada’s north have reported an increasing numbers of polar bears on shore, venturing into communities and encountering humans.
When Maureen Hayes first tested her Ottawa home for radon a little over a year ago, the initial reading was far below Canada's current threshold to take action.
Debate over legislation to update animal testing rules will resume next month, with one lawyer fearing it will end important research into cardio-vascular disease without proper debate.