The Tuesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories
Highlights from the news file for Tuesday, Feb. 14
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’60S SCOOP PLAINTIFFS WIN CLASS ACTION: Canada failed to take reasonable steps to prevent thousands of on-reserve children who were placed with non-native families from losing their indigenous heritage during the ’60s Scoop, an Ontario judge ruled in a landmark case Tuesday. The decision in the long-running and bitterly fought class action paves the way for an assessment of damages the government will now have to pay and was hailed as a major step toward reconciliation and healing. The lawsuit launched eight years ago sought $1.3 billion on behalf of about 16,000 indigenous children in Ontario who claimed they were harmed by being placed in non-aboriginal homes from 1965 to 1984 under terms of a federal-provincial agreement. In siding with the plaintiffs, Ontario Superior Court Justice Edward Belobaba found Canada had breached its “duty of care” to the children. The judge also found that Ottawa breached part of the agreement that required consultation with Indian bands about the child-welfare program.
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