Question Period Note: Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School

Our Government is committed to righting past wrongs, especially those involving Indigenous children, outside of the courts.
In June 2019, I was honoured to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Île-à-la-Crosse Steering Committee and the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan.
This MOU will collaboratively chart a path forward to address the painful legacy of the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School.
Together, we will seek justice and healing for former students and make amends for past wrongs against the Métis.

The Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School was opened by the Roman Catholic Church in 1917. The students attending this school were drawn primarily from Métis communities. In 1945, the Province of Saskatchewan took over responsibility for the delivery of educational services with the Church continuing to be responsible for the operation of the dormitory until its closure in 1976.
Requests to add Île-à-la-Crosse to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement under Article 12 were denied as there was no evidence that Canada placed children under its authority at the school for the purposes of education nor did Canada jointly or solely administer the school.
Curently, there is only one proposed class action, Aubichon (Saskatchean Court of Queen’s Bench), filed on behalf of all persons who attended the Île-à-la-Crosse residential school in Saskatchewan.
The Minister has committed to engaging with the parties in pre-exploratory discussions to share information that may support the resolution of the litigation. Pariticipation of the Province of Saskatchewan will be essential in any discussions related to potential compensation.

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