Provincial, public or religious Day Schools on Reserve
This class action seeks to compensate people subjected to the Indian Act who, between 1906 and 2014, attended a provincial, public or religious Day School on a reserve or Indian settlement in Quebec, as well as Inuit people who attended a provincial, public or religious Day School in an Inuit village in Québec between 1963 and 1978, and their family members, for the psychological, physical and sexual abuse committed there. It also seeks the award of punitive damages.
The plaintiffs are represented by Dionne Schulze and Trudel Johnston & Lespérance.
Latest News
On December 8, 2023, judge Sylvain Lussier authorized the class action and appointed J. J. and A. J. as representative plaintiffs for the class.
On July 5, 2024, the plaintiffs filed an originating application. On January 31, 2025, they submitted a request for permission to modify the group, along with an application for authorization to initiate a class action. This request aims to add the following entities as defendants in the lawsuit: the Centre de services scolaire des Hauts-Bois-de-l’Outaouais (joint schools in Maniwaki), the Centre de services scolaire de l’Estuaire (joint schools in Raguenau and Les Escoumins), the Centre de services scolaire de la Moyenne-Côte-Nord (joint schools in Mingan and Natashquan) and the Centre de services scolaire La Riveraine (joint schools in Pierreville). The Court has not yet granted approval for this request.
You are automatically included in the class action if you fall into any of the groups described below (1, 2 or 3). If you wish to remain included in the class action, you do not have to do anything. If you wish to opt out of the class action, opt out foms will be published on this page shortly for you to exclude yourself from this class-action.
No trial date has been set and no settlement has been reached. Therefore, there is no guaranteed compensation nor any deadline for the time being.
Are you a member?
You might be a member of this class action if you fit into one of these three groups:
1
Survivors’ Group (reserves or Indian settlements)
You must meet all criteria:
– You attended a Day School in Quebec;
– AND – this Day School was located on a reserve or Indian settlement;
– AND – this Day School was operated by the province, a school board or a religious entity;
– AND – you attended this Day School between 1951 and 2014;
– AND – you are a person subjected to the Indian Act.
2
Survivors’ Group (Inuit villages)
You must meet all criteria:
– You attended a Day School in Quebec;
– AND – this Day School was located on an Inuit village;
– AND – this Day School was operated by the province, a school board or a religious entity;
– AND – you attended this Day School between 1963 and 1978;
– AND – you are a person registered or entitled to be registered as an Inuit beneficiary under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement or with an Inuit land claim organization.
3
Family Group
You are a family member* of a person in the Survivor’ Group (reserves or Indian settlements) or in the Survivors’ Group (Inuit villages).
*Family members:
The spouse or civil union partner, brother or sister, child or grandchild of a member of either Survivors’ Group, or the spouse or civil union partner of a brother or sister, child or grandchild of a member of either Survivors’ Group.
Stay Informed About the Class Action
If you think you are a class member and want to receive information on the case, you can sign up to our mailing list by filling out the form below.
