Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

NUNAVUT
More than 3,000 Nunavummiut applied to be compensated by the federal government for abusive and traumatic experiences they endured while attending residential schools.

Common experience payments, under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, are to be paid to all eligible former students of Canada's residential schools. As of Sept. 12, the latest data available from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, 3,285 applications from Nunavut were received, about three per cent out of the total 102,310 received nationally. Data for the last week of eligibility leading up to the Sept. 19 deadline was unavailable by press time.

More than 99,900 applications have been processed and more than $1.5 billion approved for payment, the average payment being $20,596. Each applicant may receive $10,000 for the first school year plus $3,000 for each subsequent year of residency at a residential school. The payment recognizes the experience of residing at residential schools and its impacts.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.