Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Mom urges chiefs to vote in favour of landmark $47.8B child welfare reform deal

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak addresses the Assembly of First Nations annual general assembly in Montreal on July 9, 2024. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak addresses the Assembly of First Nations annual general assembly in Montreal on July 9, 2024. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press)
Share
OTTAWA -

The representative plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against Canada are urging First Nations chiefs to accept a landmark $47.8-billion child welfare reform deal.

The deal was struck in July between Canada, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Assembly of First Nations after a nearly two-decade legal fight over the federal government's underfunding of on-reserve child welfare services.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said that was discriminatory and tasked Canada with coming to an agreement with First Nations to reform the system, along with compensating children who were torn from their families and put in foster care.

Chiefs are in Calgary this week for an Assembly of First Nations gathering where they are set to vote on the agreement, but dozens of them have raised concerns about how it will work.

One representative plaintiff in the class-action for Jordan’s Principle families, Carolyn Buffalo, is a mother from Montana First Nation in Maskwacis, Alta.

Speaking through tears, Buffalo says she thinks chiefs will vote down the deal she and others have worked on for years in an attempt to stop Canada's discrimination against First Nations children, and that kids will be left without protection if it's rejected.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

At least seven large-scale butter thefts have been reported in Guelph, Ont. over a 10-month period, including two hauls in just the last month.

Local Spotlight

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the ‘Fellow in Yellow.’

Stay Connected