NUNAVUT - A second group of students of former teacher and convicted pedophile Edward Horne will receive $15 million in an out-of-court settlement of their lawsuit against the governments of the NWT and Nunavut.

A second group of students of former teacher and convicted pedophile Edward Horne will receive $15 million in an out-of-court settlement of their lawsuit against the governments of the NWT and Nunavut. - NNSL file photo

The 66 claimants will share the settlement, said Geoffrey Budden, one of their lawyers.

He added the terms of settlement include the creation of a fund to provide counselling and treatment services to the plaintiffs and their families.

Although the victims are happy with the settlement terms, it won't restore their "childhood innocence," said Budden.

"As a group, they were all relieved the matter had finally been resolved after some time and they were pleased, I think as well, the matter had been settled without the necessity of going to a full trial," he said. "We think it's a fair settlement. Let's face it – you can't very easily put a dollar value on suffering, on having to go through what these people went through as children. We worked very hard to obtain it on their behalf, with their full co-operation. I feel it's a good resolution for that."

Another group of 82 students who suffered abuse at the hands of Horne while he was employed as a teacher by the Government of the Northwest Territories in Sanikiluaq, Iqaluit, Apex, Kimmirut, Grise Fiord and Cape Dorset between 1971 and 1985, shared $21.5 million in a 2002 out-of-court settlement.

Budden, Morris Law Office started the second lawsuit in 2004. The deal was reached through an alternative dispute resolution process from November 2008 and July 2010.

Budden said the claimants were notified in person of the settlement during the fall.

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