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Île-à-la-Crosse Residential School Class Action

April 01, 2026

Residential School Class Action

Updates

April 1, 2026 – Settlement Approval Hearing Concluded

The hearing for approval of the Settlements took place on May 30 and 31, 2026. Justice Wempe will make her decision on the Settlements soon. We will post an update to this webpage as soon as the decision is released.

March 25, 2026 – Attend the Settlement Approval Hearing

The Settlement Approval Hearing will take place on March 30 and 31, 2026, starting at 10 a.m. CST. The hearing will take place at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon. You can attend in person or online.

In person: 520 Spadina Cres E, Saskatoon

Online: there are 3 ways to join:

Join by computer with video and audio (Webex)
Saskatoon King’s Bench Virtual Room 03
Meeting number: 146 197 1843

Join by video system (SIP)
Dial STKB03@skcourts.webex.com

You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter meeting number: 146 197 1843

Join by phone
+1-833-311-4101 Canada toll free (use this number if calling from outside Regina or Saskatoon)

+1-306-271-1492 Canada toll free (if calling from Regina)

+1-306-808-2023 Canada toll free (if calling from Saskatoon)

Access code: 146 197 1843

The deadline to submit an objection has been extended to March 29, 2026. Objection forms can be found here.

March 12, 2026 – Settlement Approval Hearing date set

The Settlement Approval Hearing will take place on March 30 and 31, 2026. The hearing will take place at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon, at 520 Spadina Cres E. You can attend in person or online. The online link will be available about one week before the hearing.

The deadline to submit an objection has been extended to March 29, 2026. Objection forms can be found here.

You can read the Notices for Certification and Settlement Approval here:

Long Form Notices:

Short Form Notices:

March 6, 2026 – MBC radio interview

GP’s Jamie Shilton spoke with MBC News this morning to discuss the proposed settlements and upcoming settlement approval court hearing. You can listen to the interview here.

February 19, 2026 – Town Hall videos are available

Videos of the Town Hall meetings are now available here:

February 10, 2026 – Final dates, locations, and times of town hall meetings, Notices of Hearing for Certification and Settlement Approval and the website for the proposed settlements

The final dates and times, including locations, of the town hall meetings are:

  • Friday, February 13 at 2:00 PM – La Loche at Friendship Centre – In person
  • Saturday, February 14 at 12:00 PM – Île-à-la-Crosse at Sakitawak Events Centre – In person
  • Sunday, February 15 at 10:00 AM – Buffalo Narrows at Sports Complex – In person
  • Monday, February 16 at 9:00 AM – Saskatoon at Sheraton Cavalier Hotel / Virtual (Hybrid Option)

A website for the proposed settlements is now online here: https://ilexsettlement.ca/

February 10, 2026 – Time change for la Loche town hall meeting

The La Loche town hall meeting on February 13, 2026 has been rescheduled to 2:00 pm – In-Person.

January 30, 2026 – Settlement agreements signed

Settlement Agreements with the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan have been signed.

The fully executed Settlement Agreement with Canada can be viewed here. The fully executed Settlement Agreement with Saskatchewan can be viewed here.

January 28, 2026 – Town Hall meetings have been scheduled

Four town halls have been scheduled for February in Saskatchewan to meet with community members and answer any and all questions concerning this class action. We will explain the terms of the proposed settlement, the upcoming hearing for certification and settlement approval, class members’ rights and options, and how to obtain more information.

The sessions will be held in La Loche, Île-à-la-Crosse, Buffalo Narrows, and Saskatoon, as follows:

  • La Loche – February 13, 2026 at 2:00 pm – In-Person  (note time change to 2 pm)
  • Île-à-la-Crosse – February 14, 2026 at 12:00 pm – In-Person
  • Buffalo Narrows – February 15, 2026 at 10:00 am – In-Person
  • Saskatoon – February 16, 2026 at 9:00 am – Hybrid (both In-Person and Virtual participation available)

Additional details will be available soon.

January 21, 2026 – Agreements in Principle reached with the defendants

Agreements in principle have been reached with Canada and Saskatchewan to settle the Île-à-la-Crosse residential school class action. You can read the settlement with Canada here and the settlement with Saskatchewan here.

Compensation is not yet available. Any settlement in a class action needs to be approved by the Court before it can move forward and people can make claims for compensation.

The settlement approval court hearing has been scheduled for March 30-31, 2026, at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon. More information, including copies of the settlement agreements and details about how to watch the court hearing if you’re interested, will be available soon and will be posted here.

What this Class Action is About

Goldblatt Partners LLP and Sotos LLP are counsel in a proposed class action against the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan, regarding their establishment and operation of the Île-à-la-Crosse residential school (sometimes called the Île-à-la-Crosse “Mission school” or “boarding school”).

The Île-à-la-Crosse residential school was one of the oldest residential schools in Canada, operating between 1860 and 1976. A total of approximately 1,500 students, predominantly Métis children from across Northern Saskatchewan, attended the school.

The Île-à-la-Crosse residential school operated in the same fashion as other residential schools. It was run by Roman Catholic religious groups, with government funding and oversight. Like all residential school survivors, the Île-à-la-Crosse school survivors were forced or coerced to attend the residential school, then forcibly confined and deprived of their heritage, their support networks and their way of life, forced to adopt a foreign language and culture, and punished severely for non-compliance. They were subjected to systematic child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, and often endured psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse at the hands of teachers, administrators and other school employees.

The Île-à-la-Crosse residential school was excluded from previous settlements regarding residential schools, and Île-à-la-Crosse school Survivors have not received any acknowledgement of, or compensation for, the harms they endured as a result of their experiences at this residential school.

The statement of claim alleges, among other things, that the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan breached their fiduciary, statutory, and common law duties to preserve, protect, and promote the welfare and education of Indigenous children.

The proposed class consists of:

Survivor Class: every person who was alive on December 9, 2003, and who attended as a student or for educational purposes at the Île-à-la-Crosse School during the class period, including their estates, heirs, executors, administrators, personal representatives and/or trustees. The Survivor Class includes day students/”day schoolers”.

Family Class: all persons who are a spouse, parent, child, grandchild, or sibling of a Survivor Class Member, or the surviving spouse of a deceased Survivor Class Member.

The class period is January 1, 1860 – December 31, 1976.

The plaintiffs in this action are four Île-à-la-Crosse school survivors, and two children of survivors representing the Family Class. They are calling on Canada and Saskatchewan to acknowledge the injustices that have been done to the Île-à-la-Crosse school survivors, and to provide compensation for their harms.

Read the Statement of Claim here.  Lisez la déclaration.

National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line

The National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line offers emotional and crisis support to Survivors and intergenerational Survivors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-866-925-4419.

Hope for Wellness Help Line

The Hope for Wellness Help Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to all Indigenous people across Canada, at 1-855-242-3310. An online chat is available at https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/.

Counselling is available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway (Anishinaabemowin), and Inuktitut, on request.

If you have questions about this class action, please contact Tina Yang at 647-381-8500 or tyang@goldblattpartners.com.

Lawyers

Tina Yang, Jamie Shilton, Umaiyahl Nageswaran

Practice Areas

Class Action Litigation, Civil Litigation