Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation fall on September 30th; the day is meant to honour and remember the children who never came home from and the survivors of residential schools, along with their families and communities.
Residential schools were not the only Canadian government program that removed Indigenous children from their communities. The government also ran the Indian Boarding Homes Program which placed children from First Nation and Inuit communities in private homes in other, usually non-Indigenous, communities to attend school. This program ran from the 1950s to the early 1990s. While in these private homes, children suffered the loss of their language and culture, harassment, abuse, and other harms.
Two legal actions, one in Quebec Superior Court and the other in Federal Court, resulted in the Indian Boarding Homes Class Action settlement. This settlement provides compensation to Indigenous people placed in homes through the Indian Boarding Homes Program, and additional compensation to those who suffered abuse as a result. You can find the court documents for both actions on the settlement website.
Claimants can submit claims for compensation until February 22, 2027. The website provides information to help claimants confirm their eligibility for the settlement and choose the appropriate category and claim form. Each claim form is accompanied by an online guide that can help people complete the form. Claim forms can be completed online through the settlement website, or by downloading and completing the PDF form. This form can be submitted by email, fax, or mail. Claimants can also contact the settlement administrator and request a claim form be mailed to them for completion.
For those seeking more information about the settlement and the claims process, check out the Frequently Asked Questions on the settlement website. Their Resources page also features downloadable flyers and brochures to promote awareness of the settlement, as well as links to resources to prepare for the compensation payment or find emotional, mental, or legal support.
This article is a LawMatters Blog post written for current awareness at the time of publishing. Please check the publication date as some information may have changed since then.