Beverly JacobsAPTN NewsA judge in Toronto is hearing from people for, and against a proposed settlement between 60s Scoop and the federal government.The $875 million settlement has been approved by a Saskatchewan court and now Ontario will decide whether the deal is a good one.
10 thoughts on “Hearing examining 60s Scoop settlement starts in Toronto”
Comments are closed.
I feel that the physical, mental & emotional pain I (we) went through can never be understood. It’s good that it’s recognized and dealt with in one way. But the scars will always be there. There’s no erasing the pain, sure. The change of social adjustment, environmental & geographical is and has been overwhelming for me and many others who were taken from their parents, siblings and extended families. Money? It’s needed, it’ll do for now. I’m just angry and sad that’s it was handled in this way.
I feel that the physical, mental & emotional pain I (we) went through can never be understood. It’s good that it’s recognized and dealt with in one way. But the scars will always be there. There’s no erasing the pain, sure. The change of social adjustment, environmental & geographical is and has been overwhelming for me and many others who were taken from their parents, siblings and extended families. Money? It’s needed, it’ll do for now. I’m just angry and sad that’s it was handled in this way.
I completely agree with what you said. And I said nearly the same thing in my objection… regarding the lawyers & sent in documents showing merchant has a history of over inflating/ fabricating their legal fees. I’m really glad the judge is seriously looking at this!!
I completely agree with what you said. And I said nearly the same thing in my objection… regarding the lawyers & sent in documents showing merchant has a history of over inflating/ fabricating their legal fees. I’m really glad the judge is seriously looking at this!!
Through the assistance and hard work of Sixties Scoop survivors like Coleen Rajotte, Adam North Peigen, and Duane Morrisseau we have been able to give pause to the Ontario Court Judge to ask “why are these lawyer fees so extensive?”. In my own objection, submitted to the Court of Ontario I stated the following:
The proposed settlement fees and taxes of the Class Counsel are without merit.
While I understand that legal fees are large and disproportionate to what average hardworking citizens receive in doing their day to day; it does not sit well with me knowing that lawyers who are representing this settlement will inherit millions while the claimants in this class action stand to inherit thousands.
Two years ago, the Canadian government says the law firm that represented thousands of residential school survivors should have paid back legal fees because it inflated its billings. That law firm was the Merchant Law Group. The same law firm that is representing the claimants in the 60s Scoop action.
Between 1997 and 2005, Tony Merchant and his firm dealt with more than 7,000 claims from former students at Indian residential schools. When it came time to settle, eligible applicants were paid $10,000 for their firs year in school, plus $3,000 each year, thereafter. The lawyers, meanwhile, were paid millions. In 2008, Merchant Law was given $25 million for its work with claimants.
In essence, a law firm that was cited for fraud, deceit and misrepresentation is now representing 60s Scoop claimants. How can I in all honesty trust that this law firm is representing me and the life that was stolen from me?
Well said. At least the judge in Toronto is questioning some of the fees and making the law firms prove they’ve actually done something. Clearly the agreement and amounts for survivors versus lawyers is out of line.
Through the assistance and hard work of Sixties Scoop survivors like Coleen Rajotte, Adam North Peigen, and Duane Morrisseau we have been able to give pause to the Ontario Court Judge to ask “why are these lawyer fees so extensive?”. In my own objection, submitted to the Court of Ontario I stated the following:
The proposed settlement fees and taxes of the Class Counsel are without merit.
While I understand that legal fees are large and disproportionate to what average hardworking citizens receive in doing their day to day; it does not sit well with me knowing that lawyers who are representing this settlement will inherit millions while the claimants in this class action stand to inherit thousands.
Two years ago, the Canadian government says the law firm that represented thousands of residential school survivors should have paid back legal fees because it inflated its billings. That law firm was the Merchant Law Group. The same law firm that is representing the claimants in the 60s Scoop action.
Between 1997 and 2005, Tony Merchant and his firm dealt with more than 7,000 claims from former students at Indian residential schools. When it came time to settle, eligible applicants were paid $10,000 for their firs year in school, plus $3,000 each year, thereafter. The lawyers, meanwhile, were paid millions. In 2008, Merchant Law was given $25 million for its work with claimants.
In essence, a law firm that was cited for fraud, deceit and misrepresentation is now representing 60s Scoop claimants. How can I in all honesty trust that this law firm is representing me and the life that was stolen from me?
Well said. At least the judge in Toronto is questioning some of the fees and making the law firms prove they’ve actually done something. Clearly the agreement and amounts for survivors versus lawyers is out of line.
“I Personally, WAS taken, AWAY!!!, From, my Very, very Loving Mother?!!, By the Childrens Aid Society!!!?, at such a very YOUNG AGE!!?, it was like, my “WHOLE HEART”, …was Ripped right OUT of My very Chest!!….., Along with my Sibling’s….., “Something …SO VERY, very Devastating, that, it Totally, and COMPLETELY, Changed MY “WHOLE”, LIFE,…..Bouncing from Foster home, to Receiving Home’s, to another Foster Home!!?…, I’ve Completely LOST ALL Track, at Just HOW VERY MANY !!!…., And AM, Literally??!!, To “THIS VERY DAY…, SECOND,….AM, S-T-I-L-L !!?!, Feeling THAT !!!!, TERRIBLE TRAUMA !!!!….., “MY Storie’s,…Seem, like, THEY?!, are NEVER ENDING !!…”…., EVER,…ever……, And, I DEMAND !!?, My Answer’s!!!!!….., And…, to be HEARD!!!……, “CAN SOMEONE??…,”ANYBODY” ?!!, AT ALL…., HELP ME??!?”…., “PLEASE?”……,PLEASE…,PLEEEASE,…please……….. 🙁 …,My WHOLE ENTIRE, “LIFE”,…is still.., soooooo very Traumatized….,”Will, it EVER, ever, end…, I’m, 46 year’s old now,…and STILL,…still,…am affected…,and MUST,..be on, Medication’s,…Not to mention…, “I DO…, unfortunately,…have a Brain Tumour…,I was Diagnosed,….in 1992…, just after, my ONLY child,..was born. Can “anybody”?, help ME??.., to find MY rightfull, Answer’s??, “out there??”, as “I”, AM, Very DESPERATE !!??…, G.Twain…, I most CERTAINLY AM, a FULLY STATUSED NATIVE, from, BEAR ISLAND, ONTARIO..,CANADA….My name is: GISELLE TWAIN,…..and I AM, & NEED ANSWER’S !!??.., “BEFORE”??, …”MY TIME, DOES COME??…, Please??…, and Thank you?…705-237-8330
“I Personally, WAS taken, AWAY!!!, From, my Very, very Loving Mother?!!, By the Childrens Aid Society!!!?, at such a very YOUNG AGE!!?, it was like, my “WHOLE HEART”, …was Ripped right OUT of My very Chest!!….., Along with my Sibling’s….., “Something …SO VERY, very Devastating, that, it Totally, and COMPLETELY, Changed MY “WHOLE”, LIFE,…..Bouncing from Foster home, to Receiving Home’s, to another Foster Home!!?…, I’ve Completely LOST ALL Track, at Just HOW VERY MANY !!!…., And AM, Literally??!!, To “THIS VERY DAY…, SECOND,….AM, S-T-I-L-L !!?!, Feeling THAT !!!!, TERRIBLE TRAUMA !!!!….., “MY Storie’s,…Seem, like, THEY?!, are NEVER ENDING !!…”…., EVER,…ever……, And, I DEMAND !!?, My Answer’s!!!!!….., And…, to be HEARD!!!……, “CAN SOMEONE??…,”ANYBODY” ?!!, AT ALL…., HELP ME??!?”…., “PLEASE?”……,PLEASE…,PLEEEASE,…please……….. 🙁 …,My WHOLE ENTIRE, “LIFE”,…is still.., soooooo very Traumatized….,”Will, it EVER, ever, end…, I’m, 46 year’s old now,…and STILL,…still,…am affected…,and MUST,..be on, Medication’s,…Not to mention…, “I DO…, unfortunately,…have a Brain Tumour…,I was Diagnosed,….in 1992…, just after, my ONLY child,..was born. Can “anybody”?, help ME??.., to find MY rightfull, Answer’s??, “out there??”, as “I”, AM, Very DESPERATE !!??…, G.Twain…, I most CERTAINLY AM, a FULLY STATUSED NATIVE, from, BEAR ISLAND, ONTARIO..,CANADA….My name is: GISELLE TWAIN,…..and I AM, & NEED ANSWER’S !!??.., “BEFORE”??, …”MY TIME, DOES COME??…, Please??…, and Thank you?…705-237-8330