The $2-billion compensation package for Survivors who were forced to attend residential schools is approved by the Nunavut Court of Justice, the eighth of nine courts that must give it the nod before it goes ahead. A court in the Northwest Territories is the last to give approval in January 2007.
However, the class-action deal — one of the most complicated in Canadian history — was effectively settled by Dec. 15, 2006, when documents were released that said the deal had been approved by seven courts: in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. The average payout is expected to be in the vicinity of $25,000. Those who suffered physical or sexual abuse may be entitled to settlements up to $275,000. Students who attended day schools are not included in the settlement.