APTN National News
The federal government and residential school survivors who attended institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador have reached a $50 million class action settlement agreement, according to lawyers for the survivors.
The federal government agreed to the settlement in April after lawyers from both sides reached an agreement in principle at the end of March.
The $50 million from the settlement will go into a compensation fund for survivors and the federal government is also expected to provide additional money for healing and commemoration.
“The proposed settlement represents long-delayed access to justice for survivors of residential schools in Newfoundland and Labrador and it is an excellent result for class members,” said a joint statement from the lawyers representing survivors.
The settlement follows a 10-year legal battle that included a four-month trial phase that ended this past February after the two sides asked the court for a break to hold settlement talks, according to the statement.
The settlement still needs court approval and a hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27 in St. John’s to deal with the issue.
Lawyers for the survivors said in the statement they would be visiting communities in Labrador in the coming months to provide information on the settlement and distribution plan.
The money from the settlement will be distributed to survivors within about a year of the court approving the settlement, the statement said.
The residential schools in Newfoundland and Labrador were located in St. Anthony, Cartwright, North West River, Nain and Makkovik.
Ottawa initially opposed the claim arguing it wasn’t responsible for institutions that opened before the province joined Confederation in 1949.
The International Grenfell Association ran three of the schools, while the German-based Moravian Missionaries ran the other two.
-with a file from The Canadian Press
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Will Newfoundland be apologizing? That’s where the blame is.