Survivors of boarding school in Saskatchewan say agreement in principle reached

Survivors of a boarding school that housed Métis and First Nations children in Saskatchewan attend a media update event in Whitecap, Sask., Tuesday, Jan.24, 2023. Survivors launched a class-action lawsuit for the harms they suffered in the institution. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly MaloneTHE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Malone

ÎLE-À-LA-CROSSE, Sask. – Survivors of a boarding school that housed Métis and First Nations children in Saskatchewan say they’ve reached an agreement in principle with the Canadian government.

The Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School Steering Committee says the settlement would see up to $27 million paid to survivors.

It would also see a fund of $10 million set up for projects that address healing, education, language and culture.

Survivors of a boarding school that housed Métis and First Nations children in Saskatchewan attend a media update event in Whitecap, Sask., Tuesday, Jan.24, 2023. Survivors launched a class-action lawsuit for the harms they suffered in the institution. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly MaloneTHE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Malone

The committee filed a lawsuit against Ottawa and the Saskatchewan government in 2022 for the roles they played in operating the school and for allegedly breaching legal duties to care for the children.

Survivors say they suffered abuse while attending the school, which operated for more than 100 years until it burned down in the 1970s.

The committee says it’s working on drafting a final agreement and that claims of physical or sexual abuse aren’t included in the agreement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2025.