Ottawa, Ontario (August 21, 2024) — The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, issued the following statement:

“Today marks the beginning of implementation of the Federal Indian Boarding Homes (Percival) class action settlement agreement. This represents an important step on the path towards reconciliation with those Indigenous individuals who, as children and youth, were placed in federal boarding homes. We cannot undo the past, but we can do the right thing in acknowledging the truth and the harm caused and commit to never repeating these mistakes.

Under the Indian Boarding Homes Program, the Government of Canada placed children from First Nations communities and Inuit villages in private homes, usually located in non-Indigenous communities, for the purposes of attending school.

Together, former Boarding Home students, their counsel, and Canada, have taken an important step toward healing for thousands of Survivors through this negotiated settlement.

Through this settlement agreement, eligible class members have until February 22, 2027 to apply for compensation. Eligible class members can receive $10,000 if they were placed by Canada in a boarding home for the purposes of attending school. Class members who suffered physical, sexual or other abuse can apply for additional compensation, ranging from $10,000 to $200,000, reflecting the varying degrees of harm experienced.

The settlement also provides a commitment by Canada of $50 million to establish a Foundation dedicated to supporting Class Members and their descendants. This Foundation will fund initiatives in healing, wellness, education, languages, cultures, heritage, commemoration, and reconciliation activities and programs.

More information on the settlement agreement and claims process can be found on the claims administrators website https://boardinghomesclassaction.com/.

We recognize that any process that involves revisiting past abuses can have a re-traumatizing effect on survivors. The Hope for Wellness Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer culturally competent counseling and crisis intervention. For immediate help, call the toll-free line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at hopeforwellness.ca.”