CANADA
Anglican Journal
MARITES N. SISON
STAFF WRITER
The Anglican Church of Canada is renegotiating the terms of the 2003 residential schools agreement that it signed with the federal government following an announcement Nov. 23 of a new $1.9 billion compensation package that will be offered to tens of thousands of aboriginal Canadians who attended Indian residential schools.
In its renegotiations, the Anglican church has invoked the “most favoured nation” clause in its agreement that states that if the federal government reaches more favourable terms with another denomination involved in the residential schools, Anglicans can ask for the same terms.
Under the terms of the new agreement in principle, signed by the government and legal counsel for former students and churches and announced by Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, the Roman Catholic church agrees to fund healing and reconciliation programs, but “is not required to pay any compensation,” noted Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.