September 19th 2013

For Immediate Release

Former Residents of Woodlands School Ask Why BC Can’t Follow Ontario’s Example and Do the Right Thing

Former residents of Woodlands School who were at the institution before 1974 are not eligible to apply for compensation for the abuse they suffered there. The BC government says the survivors must be excluded from its 2010 compensation agreement because it was not possible to sue the province before the 1974 implementation of BC’s Crown Proceedings Act. All provinces gradually implemented similar legislation to allow individuals to sue government. The equivalent legislation in Ontario was passed in 1962/63 – the Proceedings Against the Crown Act.

This week, abuse survivors of Ontario’s Huronia Regional Centre won the right to apply for compensation. The $35-million settlement includes an apology from government and a commitment to a timely process. Unlike the former residents of Woodlands, former Huronia residents can apply for compensation regardless of when Ontario’s Proceedings Against the Crown Act came into law. Huronia’s former residents who were there between 1945-2009 will be able to apply.

Bill McArthur, representative plaintiff of the Woodlands survivors is happy for Huronia’s former residents, but asks “if Ontario can open up their compensation to all former residents of Huronia, why can’t BC do the same for those of us who were at Woodlands before 1974?”

“It’s heartbreaking that our province continues to use a legal excuse to avoid including all former Woodlands residents,” said Gregg Schiller, Coordinator of the We Survived Woodlands Group.

Ontario’s action is an example of a government living up to its responsibilities and not shielding itself behind legislation.

“We applaud Ontario for signing on to an agreement that will enable the oldest former Huronia residents to have their abuse recognized,” said Jane Dyson, Executive Director of the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities. “We’re calling on BC to do the right thing and follow Ontario’s example. All Woodlands survivors deserve justice.”

For more information please contact:

Bill McArthur: (Woodlands Survivor) 778-222-3617
Jane Dyson: (BC Coalition of People with Disabilities) 604-875-0188
Gregg Schiller: (Coordinator of the We Survived Woodlands Group) 604-868-7001

In BC, survivors of Woodlands School who were there before 1974 are not eligible to apply for compensation for the abuse they suffered. The government argues that because people couldn’t sue the government before 1974, the survivors cannot now apply for compensation. All provinces implemented legislation at around the same time to allow people to sue the government. But in Ontario, abuse survivors of a similar institution today won the right to apply for compensation regardless of when they were there (1945-2009). BCCPD is once again calling on the BC government to do the right thing (follow the good example of Ontario) and include all the survivors in BC’s compensation agreement. If you agree, please email Justice Minister Susanne Anton at suzanne.anton.mla@leg.bc.ca and share this post.

This is a link to a Global article about the settlement in Ontario:

http://globalnews.ca/news/845480/35m-settlement-reached-in-class-action-suit-against-ontario-government/?utm_source=facebook-twitter&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=community

The BCCPD has received the following notice from the Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN):

Join us to discuss what’s important in your transition after high school and how to get involved in leading others through the same transition.

Finishing high school usually marks the end of one stage of your life and the beginning of another. Please join us for an interesting evening where you can let us know what’s important to you as you plan what you will do after you graduate high school!

We will be holding an info session to learn more from young people about what would be most helpful to them as they face life after graduation. Using your feedback, we’re going to improve our workshop that guides youth with a disability through this transition process.

We’re also looking for youth leaders who are interested in continuing to help guide us in our work. This will help us to develop useful and accessible information that will assist young people with disabilities, their families, and support networks make good choices.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Youth from 16-29
If you have already finished school, or will soon be facing graduation, we are interested in hearing from you about your experiences, ideas, hopes and fears.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?
We want to make sure that our resources include a youth perspective and are developed by youth, for youth!

WHEN?
September 19th, 2013 from 6:30-8:30pm

WHERE?
Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion
2702 Norland Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5N 3A6

Sushi, snacks and drinks will be provided
RSVP: inquiries@plan.ca or 604-439-9566