Manitoba agrees to pay $17 million and apologize to settle disabled abuse lawsuit
Manitoba agrees to pay $17 million and apologize to settle disabled abuse lawsuit
WINNIPEG -
The Manitoba government has agreed to pay $17 million and apologize in the legislature to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of former residents who say they were abused at a centre for people with intellectual disabilities.
The class-action settlement agreement, which still requires court approval, would also see a monument built at the Manitoba Developmental Centre's cemetery and funding flow to projects that help people with disabilities live in the community.
"There's a legacy that's associated with this particular settlement that, in addition to the compensation for harms, will benefit all class members and all Manitobans," David Rosenfeld, lawyer for the plaintiffs, said Tuesday.
The lawsuit was filed in 2018 by David Weremy, who lived at the Manitoba Developmental Centre in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.
The centre in Portage la Prairie is one of the last large-scale institutions of its kind in Canada and is slated to close in 2024 as part of a trend to have people live in the community with personal support.
The facility opened in 1890. At its peak in the 1970s, it housed some 1,200 people but is now home to fewer than 160. The Manitoba government stopped accepting new residents at the centre in 1996, except for short-term and court-ordered placements.
The statement of claim sought $50 million and alleged staff beat residents, deprived them of food and allowed sexual assaults to occur between residents.
Weremy alleged he was often hit with a whip or a wooden board, frequently underfed, and punished for trying to run away by being placed in solitary confinement or being forced to sleep naked on the floor.
The government denied the allegations in a statement of defence and said the centre was run in accordance with the standards of care at the time. It maintains that denial is part of the proposed settlement agreement, and also denies liability.
The Progressive Conservative government did not provide a comment Tuesday.
Rosenfeld said the $17-million settlement is a good result, as it includes commitments to ongoing education that could not happen if the case went to court.
"A court can't make a government apologize for what may or may not have happened in the past, and you can't set up an endowment," Rosenfeld said.
It's too early to say how many people may file claims for compensation or join the lawsuit, he added.
Out of the $17 million, $1 million would be set aside for an endowment fund that would generate money annually for projects such as educational programming on the history of institutionalization and initiatives that promote or support community inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
There would also be audiovisual productions highlighting the stories of people who lived at the centre.
A court hearing to determine whether the agreement will be approved is scheduled for May.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2023
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to assure Canadians that his government is adequately addressing the threat of foreign interference took a hit on Wednesday, when the majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside.'
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – were hospitalized after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar. However, many of the children are now being discharged and sent home, according to an update from the hospital.
Although bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Canada, experts say there’s a significant lack of awareness surrounding whom it affects the most — statistically, men — and that the most common risk factor is smoking.
Canada will soon require health warnings to be printed directly on individual cigarettes, making it the first country to implement this kind of measure aimed at reducing tobacco usage.
More than three years after COVID was declared a global pandemic, a new study is looking at how the international health crisis has changed the lifestyle habits of Canadians.
A year after arguing Nigeria's ruling party is responsible for terrorist acts, the Trudeau government has sent a cabinet minister to celebrate the swearing-in of its new president.
The Canadian economy grew faster than expected in the first three months of the year and likely expanded again in April, fuelling speculation that the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates again.
Statistics Canada says fewer fresh fruits and vegetables were available to Canadians in 2022, due to factors such as ongoing supply chain issues, labour shortages and price increases.
Huntsville OPP has charged a third girl in connection to an alleged assault captured on video at a local high school and shared on social media earlier this month.
Forest fires in northern Ontario are on the rise, with the largest in the region shutting down a critical highway for the people of Hornepayne for a bit and bringing the community to the brink of evacuation.
A Toronto woman says she was shamed for the size of her order at a sushi restaurant north of the city in a scathing review posted to social media that’s been viewed more than 1.4 million times.
A man who slammed an Edmonton mother to the ground and strangled her outside of a downtown daycare in 2021 has had his nine-year prison sentence reduced to four years.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Brad Treliving to be the team's new general manager. The team made the announcement Wednesday, less than two weeks after firing Kyle Dubas.
A Toronto woman says she was shamed for the size of her order at a sushi restaurant north of the city in a scathing review posted to social media that’s been viewed more than 1.4 million times.
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – were hospitalized after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar. However, many of the children are now being discharged and sent home, according to an update from the hospital.
Last year, Quebec’s Bill 96 became law, which brought sweeping changes to the Charter of the French language. Sections of the new law will come into effect on June 1, the one-year anniversary of the bill receiving royal assent.
Some communities in Quebec are expected to get record-high temperatures and Environment Canada has issued several weather warnings and watches for heat. Dr. Christopher Labos spoke to CTV News anchor Mutsumi Takahashi about heat and sunstroke and tips for preventing serious consequences in the sun.
Louise Avon, brutally murdered on March 31, 2022 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts by her husband in the throes of a crack-induced psychotic delirium, might still be alive if Quebec hadn't "failed miserably in its role of protecting the public."
Ontario Provincial Police have arrested a 21-year-old man from Ottawa in connection with the shooting deaths of two teens from Mississauga in Pembroke, Ont. A third teenager, also from Mississauga, was injured.
A heat warning is in effect for Ottawa. Environment Canada's forecast calls for sunny and hot weather to continue for the final day of May and the start of June.
Canadian Heritage unveiled the programming for July 1 celebrations, inviting Canadians to come to the capital region to "join the biggest party in the country!"
A 72-year-old from Kitchener has been charged with careless driving after a vehicle careened off Highland Road West and smashed through the backyards of three homes on Ralgreen Crescent in Kitchener Tuesday afternoon.
More horror stories are emerging from Surrey Memorial Hospital, as a series of public letters written by frontline staff continue to highlight the perils of staff shortages.
After the remains of Madison Scott were identified this week, exactly 12 years after the B.C. woman went missing, her family says they’re still looking for answers and closure.
The northern Vancouver Island village of Sayward remains on edge Wednesday as a wildfire continues to burn out of control just five kilometres west of the community.
The B.C. government will set housing targets for 10 major communities on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland in an effort to combat the province's housing shortage.
