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	Local Diocese Not Receiving Refund Religion Anglican Church Overpaid for Compensation for Residential Schools Abuse By Nadya Bell The Telegram April 6, 2008 http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=123654&sc=85 The Anglican Church of Canada has received a cheque for $9.7 million from the federal government for paying too much compensation for residential school victims, but Newfoundland's eastern diocese won't be seeing any of the money. Executive archdeacon Geoff Peddle of the eastern diocese says when the amount needed nationally for compensation was revised down, the diocese was just shy of the revised figure that needed to be raised by the diocese. The eastern diocese was asked to raise $600,000, but when the figures were revised, its final target was $365,000. Peddle says three parishes in the diocese overpaid, but they have decided to leave their money to the healing and restoration fund. In 2003, the national Anglican Church agreed to pay the federal government $25 million, into a fund to compensate people who attended residential schools run by the church. Some aboriginal people who attended residential schools in Canada suffered severe physical, psychological and sexual abuse. The Anglican Church operated 35 residential schools from the 1850s until the 1970s, and has been named in about 2,000 abuse lawsuits. Last September, the amount needed by the federal government for compensation was revised down to $15.7 million. Although there are no recognized residential schools in Newfoundland and Labrador, Peddle says it was important for the diocese to support the dioceses in Western and Northern Canada. "Our efforts were very much directed towards finding healing and working closely with native people and native groups," Peddle says. "It means, hopefully, that for those who were hurt in any way through being part of the residential schools, there will be some healing and some closure in their lives." Native groups and communities are the driving force behind the compensation, Peddle says. "A vast, vast number of aboriginal people are Anglicans and have been for generations. We feel a great commitment to them," he says. Contact: nbell@thetelegram.com
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