Sask. First Nation a late addition to federal settlement over unsafe drinking water
A new Saskatchewan community has just been included in the settlement of a class action lawsuit over unsafe drinking water in Canada’s First Nations.
The settlement compensates people living in communities that were subject to a drinking water advisory of at least one year between November 1995 and June 20, 2021, and now includes a total of 38 reserves across Saskatchewan.
The deadline for most claims passed on March 7, but a spokesperson for the First Nations Drinking Water Settlement said Ochapowace Indian Reserve 71 was added just before it closed.
Members of that community, located about 173 kilometres east of Regina, can now file claims until April 15 through the settlement organization’s website.
The class action lawsuit was initiated in 2019 by three bands in Ontario and Manitoba — Neskantaga First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation.
Tataskweyak Chief Doreen Spence told the Canadian Press the class-action lawsuit was intended to make the federal government aware of the injustice faced by Indigenous people.
The court approved the settlement agreement on Dec. 22, 2021.
Payments are supposed to be made based on the length of the water advisory, with special compensation for those who suffered illness or injury from tainted water.
The process has drawn criticism from community members across the country — some were told they are only eligible for compensation for a fraction of the time they lived under an advisory.
One Neskantaga member told Canadian Press in 2022 he was only allowed to claim compensation for six years, even though his community had been under a water advisory for 27 years.
-With Canadian Press files from Sarah Ritchie
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.