federal Government has reached a $2.8 billion settlement to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by members of a British Columbia indigenous band who attended residential schools as day scholars.
Crown-Indigenous Affairs Minister Mark Miller said the government signed the settlement with plaintiffs representing 325 members of the community Gottfriedson Band Who chose in suit.
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The lawsuit originally involved three classes of complainants, but in 2021 the parties agreed to focus initial settlement efforts on survivors and their descendants to ensure they would receive compensation during their lifetime.
Saturday’s announcement marks an agreement for the band class of plaintiffs.
The lawsuit was started more than a decade ago by former Shishel chief Gary Feshchuk and former Tk’emlups te Secwepemc chief Shane Gottfriedson, seeking justice for day scholars who misbehaved at the schools, but who were not full-time students. were ineligible for the 2006 settlement.
Miller says the $2.8 billion will be placed in an independent, not-for-profit trust for the band class members, with more terms of the settlement being added in the next month.
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