The sections below quote Sotos LLP. They reflect allegations or the firm’s position and have not been determined by a court unless a settlement or judgment is noted. Where sources cover the same point, the most recently updated page is shown first and the others are folded underneath.
Settlement Update
The order became effective as of May 30, 2026. Claims forms for Survivors or their family members who wish to make a claim for an Experience Payment and/or for serious physical or sexual abuse are available from the Claims Administrator’s website at https://ilexsettlement.ca/ .
Source: Sotos LLP
Also from ilexsettlement.ca
On April 29, 2026, the Court approved settlement agreements with the Government of Canada and Government of Saskatchewan , which provide compensation to Survivors who attended Île-à-la-Crosse School, as well as compensation for those who suffered harm at the school, including serious physical abuse or sexual abuse.
Source: ilexsettlement.ca
About This Case
The Claim: The Île-à-la-Crosse residential school (sometimes called the Île-à-la-Crosse “Mission school” or “boarding 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 proposed Class includes all day students/day schoolers (individuals who attended at the School during the day and slept somewhere else), and all residential/boarding students.
Although the shameful and painful history of Canadian residential schools has now been well-publicized, and there has been legal recognition for some of the damage caused by colonial schooling systems, Métis experiences and survivors have been consistently excluded from the settlements.
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.
Nevertheless, the Île-à-la-Crosse residential school was excluded from both the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the Day Schools Settlement Agreement. 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 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. Legally speaking, the plaintiffs allege that both Canada and Saskatchewan breached fiduciary, statutory and common law duties owed to the Class Members, and claim general, aggravated, and punitive damages.
Source: Sotos LLP
Also from ilexsettlement.ca
This class action covers harms experienced at the Île-à-la-Crosse School and residence, which operated from around 1860–1975/76.
Source: ilexsettlement.ca
Who May Be Eligible
There are two types of Class Members: Survivor Class: a 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 day students/“day schoolers”. Family Class: All persons who are a spouse, parent, child, grandchild, or sibling of a Survivor Class Member. This lawsuit is limited to things that happened at, or because of, the Île-à-la-Crosse School and residence from when it opened until it closed around 1975-76 (that is the “class period”). This includes things that happened at temporary facilities that were used when the School or residence were shut down because of damage, before 1975-76.
Source: Sotos LLP
Also from ilexsettlement.ca
If you attended the Île-à-la-Crosse School, you may be eligible for compensation. If your relative attended the school and passed away on or after December 9, 2003, you may also be eligible for compensation through their estate or as an heir.
Source: ilexsettlement.ca
How to Register
Claims forms for Survivors or their family members who wish to make a claim for an Experience Payment and/or for serious physical or sexual abuse are available from the Claims Administrator’s website at https://ilexsettlement.ca/ .
Register NowSource: Sotos LLP
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a class action lawsuit?
A class action is a type of lawsuit where a small group of people sues on behalf of a larger group of people who have similar legal claims, instead of each person suing on their own. The larger group of people is called the “Class”. If you fit into the description of the Class, you’re automatically included in a class action lawsuit unless you decide to “opt out” (which means to exclude yourself). The smaller group of people, who represent the Class’s legal interests and make decisions on behalf of the Class, are called the representative plaintiffs.
What is this lawsuit about?
The Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School (also sometimes called the Île-à-la-Crosse Mission School, the Île-à-la-Crosse residential school, or just the “Île-à-la-Crosse School”) operated from around 1860 to 1975-76. It was one of the first boarding schools in Canada established for Indigenous children. The students were primarily Métis, as well as First Nations children from Northern Saskatchewan. This proposed class action lawsuit is called [name withheld] v The Attorney General of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan (Court File Number KBG 936 of 2025). There was another proposed class action lawsuit about the Île-à-la-Crosse School ([name withheld] v The Attorney General of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan – this was the lawsuit started in 2005 by the Merchant Law Group), but the two actions have now been combined and there’s only one lawsuit moving forward. The plaintiffs in this case are Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors. In the claim, they argue that the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan contributed to the funding, oversight, management, and control of the Île-à-la-Crosse School. They argue that Canada and Saskatchewan were obligated to care for the students who attended the School, and that the Governments failed to protect them from harm, so the Governments should pay compensation to the Survivors. These allegations have not been proven in Court. Both Canada and Saskatchewan have acknowledged that Survivors of the Île-à-la-Crosse School suffered cultural harms and, in some cases, abuses.
Who is included in the lawsuit?
There are two types of Class Members: Survivor Class: a 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 day students/“day schoolers”. Family Class: All persons who are a spouse, parent, child, grandchild, or sibling of a Survivor Class Member. This lawsuit is limited to things that happened at, or because of, the Île-à-la-Crosse School and residence from when it opened until it closed around 1975-76 (that is the “class period”). This includes things that happened at temporary facilities that were used when the School or residence were shut down because of damage, before 1975-76.
What if I or my family members only attended the Rossignol School?
This lawsuit doesn’t include anything that happened at the Rossignol School that has been run by the Île-à-la-Crosse School Board since 1975-76.
What is in the proposed settlement with Canada?
Canada has agreed to pay $27.335 million for “Experience Payments”, to reflect that Survivors all experienced harmful effects from attending the School. Each Survivor will get an Experience Payment of either: up to $10,000 for a Survivor who attended the School for one to four school years; or up to $15,000 for a Survivor who attended the School for five or more school years. This includes partial school years, no matter how short the part was. Experience Payments are for all Survivors (or their estates or heirs, if they died on or after December 9, 2003). They are not for Family Class Members. If there isn’t enough money to pay all the Experience Payments in full, each Experience Payment will be reduced proportionately. If there’s money left over, the rest of the $27.335 million will go to the Legacy Fund. In addition to the $27.335 million for Experience Paymen
Source: Sotos LLP
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Sotos LLP and ilexsettlement.ca. It is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Always verify details with the original sources before taking any action.
Legal disclaimer: Information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. ClaimBar tracks class action settlements and provides updates. Always seek professional legal advice for your specific circumstances.
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