The Federal Court has approved a settlement agreement for the Survivor and Descendant Class claims in the Day Scholars Class Action (Gottfriedson v. Canada).
The Day Scholars Survivor and Descendant Class Settlement Agreement ensures compensation for Day Scholars in their lifetimes.
The settlement provides compensation to both the Day Scholar Survivor and Descendant Classes, including:
- A $10,000 Day Scholar Compensation Payment for all eligible Day Scholars, including deceased Day Scholars who died after May 30, 2005
- A $50 million Day Scholars Revitalization Fund to support healing, wellness, education, language, culture, heritage and commemoration activities for the benefit of Survivors and their Descendants.
The claims process is not open yet. It will open, subject to further direction from the Court, by the end of 2021. Check back here for updates.
What you should know
Day Scholars (Survivor Class Members) are students who attended a Residential School only during the day and did not live at the school. All Day Scholars who attended a Residential School during the day only, for part of all of a school year, are included in this settlement.
“Schedule E” lists Residential Schools that could have had Day Scholars. In order to be eligible for a Day Scholar Compensation Payment, you must have attended one of these schools.
For eligible Day Scholars who were alive as of May 30, 2005, but have died since then, a claim may be made on behalf of the estate. Descendant Class Members are the children, by birth or adoption, of Day Scholars.
Settlement Agreement
Find out what the proposed settlement for Day Scholar Survivors and their children (Descendants) means for you.
Who Can Apply?
Check the list of all Residential Schools that were known to or could have had Day Scholars to see if you are eligible to apply.
Settlement Process
Access information about the settlement process stages, status and next steps.
Documents
Reference important documents Read the following important documents and that explain the key things that you need to know about the settlement agreement.
Settlement Milestones
June 4, 2021
The Day Scholar Survivor and Descendant Class Settlement Agreement is signed.
September 7-8, 2021
A Settlement Approval Hearing was heard by the Federal Court in Vancouver, B.C. Justice Ann Marie McDonald heard from lawyers for the class (Class Counsel), lawyers for the government of Canada, and from Class Members.
September 24, 2021
Justice McDonald approved the settlement agreement as being fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the Survivor and Descendant Classes.
Updates
September 3, 2021
Watch the residential schools day scholar class action
The Settlement Approval Hearing will start on September 7 at 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) and may run for several days.
July 21, 2021
September 7th settlement approval hearing
For Survivor and Descendant Class Members, you have the right to participate in the settlement approval process, including appearing at the settlement approval hearing to tell the court what you think about the proposed settlement. We have an update on how to do this.
