Ottawa signs settlement with survivors of boarding school in Saskatchewan

ÎLE-À-LA-CROSSE — The Canadian government has signed a $27-million settlement agreement with abuse survivors of a boarding school in Saskatchewan that housed Métis and First Nations children.

The Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School operated from the 1860s until it burned down in the 1970s.

The federal government and a group representing former students reached an agreement in principle last year and the details have now been finalized.

Up to $10,000 will be provided to each of those who attended the school for less than five years and up to $15,000 for those who were there longer.

In 2022, the group of former students sued Saskatchewan and Ottawa for the roles they played in operating the school and for breaching legal duties of care.

Ottawa says the agreement is subject to approval from Court of King’s Bench in Saskatchewan, which will examine the case in March.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe apologized in September for his government’s role in the school, and the province agreed to pay $40 million to former students.

Ottawa has also agreed to provide $10 million for healing and cultural supports, with the money to be administered through a non-profit organization.

“Today’s settlement recognizes the profound harm suffered by former students of Île-à-la-Crosse School and the courage it took for them to come forward,” Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said in a news release Thursday.

“While no settlement can undo their pain, it is an important step toward recognizing their experiences.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026.

The Canadian Press