The Group Homes Program was an educational program created by the Government of Canada. Its purpose was to take Indigenous children away from their families and communities, transport them to far away communities, and then house them in various forms of group accommodation.
The children were placed in residences, hostels, dormitories, and group homes, far away from their families and communities. This was done so that the children could attend provincially or territorially run schools. The Group Homes Program began around the 1950s and continued until the early 1990s.
The class action alleges that Indigenous children were unreasonably denied access to their language, culture, traditions, customs, and aboriginal and treaty rights and benefits. Further, the children were vulnerable to predatory behaviour by staff members—they were subjected to physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse within the group homes.
The class action alleged that Canada’s actions in placing Indigenous children in group homes far away from the supervision and protection of their own families and communities created an environment where abuse, harassment, and other harms would occur. Canada’s conduct, and that of its servants, was negligent and in breach of the fiduciary duties that Canada owes to its Indigenous Persons.
Canada was also in breach of the duties laid out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This class action seeks to rectify some of the historic wrongs Canada committed. Read more about the case in the filed Statement of Claim.
The Group Homes Program was one of many programs established by Canada, under their goal of assimilating Indigenous children. Other programs included residential schools, day schools, boarding homes, and the Sixties Scoop.
Klein Lawyers is currently working with the plaintiffs to have this case certified as a class action.
Read more about this class action here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/indigenous-group-homes-canada-lawsuit-federal-court-1.7383083
Group Homes Class Action
If you would like more information about the Group Homes class action lawsuit, please complete the form below and someone from Klein Lawyers LLP will contact you shortly. By completing this form and submitting it to Klein Lawyers LLP you have not entered into a lawyer-client relationship with Klein Lawyers LLP. Any information you provide to us through the Website will be treated with care and is subject to our Privacy Policy and Website Use Agreement.
PLEASE NOTE: This form is for the Group Homes Class Action, which includes group homes, hostels, and dormitories. This is not the Indian Boarding Homes Class Action. If you would like information about the Indian Boarding Homes Class Action, visit here.
“The negotiations were conducted by plaintiffs’ counsel with experience in class proceedings.”
“I am satisfied it is apparent from the material, which is complicated, and, I might say very well organized...”
“Plaintiff’s counsel are senior members of the bar who have extensive experience in personal injury litigation and class actions..”
“Mr. Klein is experienced and able in relation to class proceedings. Over time he has acquired expertise that permits him to make a valuable contribution...”
“The lead class counsel is experienced and has been recognized by the courts in approving settlements in other class actions.”
“Counsel for the plaintiffs in the various jurisdictions appear to be experienced in class proceedings, and to be recognized as skilled litigators.”
“…Plaintiff’s counsel retained the British Columbia law firm of Klein Lawyers to assist in the litigation. That firm has extensive experience...”
“Klein Lawyers is a litigation firm focusing on class actions. The firm is based in Vancouver but also has a Toronto office.”
“The proposed Class Counsel have excellent qualifications…”
“Mr. Klein of Klein Lawyers has over 20 years of experience in the field of class action litigation and has appeared as plaintiffs’ counsel in over 25 certified class actions...”
“Class counsel, Klein Lawyers LLP and Kim Orr Barristers P.C., are highly experienced in class action litigation. Both firms have practiced in the specialized area of class action litigation for over 20 years”
“British Columbia class counsel took on this case on a contingency basis, and faced a real risk of not being paid at all for their services.”
“Class counsel pursued this litigation to completion on their own rather than with a consortium of counsel from various provinces.”
“Klein Lawyers has continuously posted updates about the case on its website during the litigation, and has posted the court decisions...”
“There is little doubt that the lawyers of the firm expended a great deal of time in prosecuting the action, in negotiating a settlement...”
“…Class counsel undertook an extensive communication plan to advise potential class members of the proposed settlement and to advise them of the...”
