CANADA
CBC News
By Hilary Bird, CBC News Posted: Apr 19, 2016
Northern aboriginal leaders say they are furious that a court ruling let Catholic groups off the hook from fundraising tens of millions of dollars for healing programs for former students of residential schools.
The 2006 Indian Residential School Settlement required Catholic groups to pay compensation for its role in the abuse and trauma inflicted on thousands of aboriginal children.
The agreement required the Catholic entities to pay $29 million in cash to the now defunct Aboriginal Healing Foundation, $25 million in “in-kind” services, and to try and fundraise $25 million for healing programs for former students.
Pierre Baribeau, a lawyer for the Catholic groups told CBC that raising $25 million was simply a goal and that the settlements agreement states the Catholic groups were only obligated to put in their “best efforts.”
The Catholic entities were able to raise about $4 million of that $25 million goal.
“We had a very difficult time convincing public corporations to consider giving money to a Catholic-related foundation,” Baribeau said.
“Unfortunately, we did not get as much as one would have expected. The efforts were there and a lot of money was put into the campaign also.”
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