ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Ottawa proposes settlement with residential school day scholars

Share
OTTAWA -

The federal government announced Wednesday a proposed settlement agreement with residential school day scholars that would provide compensation to survivors and their families.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett said each eligible survivor would receive $10,000. Their children would also have access to support through a new $50 million Indigenous-led not-for-profit fund dubbed the Day Scholar Revitalization Society.

“While many Canadians are aware of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, few are aware that not all survivors of residential schools could receive compensation under that agreement. The day scholars, those who attended a residential school during the day, but returned home at night could seek compensation for physical and sexual abuse suffered on the school premises but unlike residents, they were not eligible to receive compensation for the experience,†she said.

Those who attended residential schools during the day or for part of the year were left out of the 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, which compensates individuals who attended the institutions full time.

Since then, they’ve been pushing for legal recognition of the damages caused by their experiences there.

Bennett said the agreement is signed but is awaiting court approval – to be determined on September 7 – and that between now and August, residential school day scholars will be able to provide feedback to the court.

A representative from the class-action lawsuit speaking at the news conference reflected on her time spent as a day scholar.

“These years were the dark ages of my life,†said Diena Jules, who attended the Kamloops, B.C., residential school. “The other children and I were physically and verbally abused for speaking our native languages… they called me a pagan and a dumb Indian and told me that I needed to become more white.â€

She said she became ashamed of her culture and that she didn’t feel she belonged with her community.

“I have worked hard to recover my sense of self-worth, my connection to my community,†she said. “I am proud that we stood up for ourselves and for our people and that now after many years, our experiences are being recognized and compensated.â€

She added that while the settlement brings relief, no compensation can account for the legacy of the residential school system.

Bennett noted this as well, and said she hopes the new fund will bring about long-term healing, education, wellness, and commemoration.

On Monday, members of Parliament voted unanimously to urge the Liberals to halt their appeals of Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders that would require the government to compensate children taken into an under-resourced child-welfare system and broaden the applicability of Jordan's Principle.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet abstained from the vote, drawing criticism from opposition politicians and Indigenous activists for not following through on their commitment to reconciliation.

In an statement to CTVNews.ca in response to the announcement on Wednesday, Jamie Schmale, Conservative Crown-Indigenous relations critic said the party is “pleased†with the settlement proposal but “the work cannot end here.â€

“That’s why we are calling for the Liberal government to implement our calls for immediate, needed action - including the development of a comprehensive plan to implement calls to action 71 through 76, as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada, by July 1, 2021.â€

The Liberals have maintained that TRC calls to action 71 through 76, regarding what needs to be done to address the missing children and unmarked graves at residential schools, are nearing completion.

The NDP are now calling on the federal government to label the experiences at residential schools a “genocide,†which will be articulated in a motion tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday.

"There is no reconciliation without truth. And what happened in residential school was clearly an act of genocide, with impacts that reverberate (in) our families' community today," said MP Leah Gazan.

---

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419

Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.

Correction

Correction: A previous version of this story said the settlement was an extension of the 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

Stay Connected