Q: Can the Resource Centre support Federal Indian Day School claimants?
A: As many of you may know, for those who attended Federal Indian Day Schools, the deadline to apply for compensation in the class action lawsuit is Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
As the federal government outlines on their website, a person is eligible to apply if they “attended an Indian Day School that was established, funded, controlled and managed by the Government of Canada from January 1, 1920, until its date of closure or transfer from Canada’s control and suffered harm as a consequence of their attendance.”
The website www.indiandayschools.com is where to find the claims form, important contact information, and many other resources.
Claim amounts range from $10,000 to $200,000 depending on the level of harm a person suffered. School records are not required to be included in Level 1 Claims (the claims for the lowest amount of compensation). For Levels 2-5, it’s important to note that if you cannot obtain school records, you can provide a Sworn Declaration as part of your claim form.
For more information, questions or help, call the claims helpline, run by Deloitte, the third-party administrator, at 1-888-221-2898. For legal questions, you can reach class counsel at 1-844-539-3815.
Locally, our (free) Legal Advocate Ken Carson (who works in our Resource Centre office) is available to help people fill out their applications or navigate the process if need be. He has experience helping with these claims. To make an appointment with him, call 604-989-5771 or email [email protected].
The Hope for Wellness Line is, as always, available for mental health and wellness support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Phone 1-855-242-3310 or connect with a counselor through online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca You can request counseling in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut.
Angie Theilmann is an information and referral specialist at the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre, your community information hub. The Resource Centre is open Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended to be sure we are available to help you. Contact us: [email protected] or 604-885-4088.
