Overview
This class proceeding concerns allegations of sexual and physical abuse at five Indian Residential Schools (“IRS”) located in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Five separate actions were commenced alleging that former residents of five IRS in Newfoundland and Labrador, operated by the Canadian Government, were neglected, sexually and physically abused, and were subject to the systematic destruction of their cultural and family relationships.
It is alleged that the sole defendant in these actions, the Canadian Government, had the full responsibility for these residents after Newfoundland and Labrador joined the Confederation on March 31, 1949.
The class of persons this proceeding seeks to represent, which is specifically detailed in the Statements of Claims below, is generally all persons who attended one of the five listed IRS in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1949 to 1996 and their relatives.
The five schools in issue are:
(a) The Lockwood School, located in Cartwright, Newfoundland and Labrador;
(b) The Nain Boarding School, located in Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador;
(c) The St. Anthony Orphanage and Boarding School, located in St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador;
(d) The Makkovik Boarding School, located in Makkovik, Newfoundland and Labrador; and
(e) The Yale School, located in Northwest River, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Given the similarities between the five actions, they will be case-managed and will proceed together.