New Records May Help Boarding School Survivors

New Records May Help Boarding School Survivors

Friday, May 18, 2007 at 15:35

The president of the Metis local in Ile-a-la-Crosse says he has gotten his hands on some documents that may help in the fight to get federal compensation awarded to former students of the boarding school there.

Don Favel says the documents prove family allowance money was flowing from Ottawa to the school back when it was operating.

He says this means the school wasn’t only dependent on the provincial government and the church to keep things running — Ottawa was involved as well.

Favel says he hopes this revelation will help sway the mind of Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice about the issue.

Earlier this year, Prentice told Favel the government couldn’t do anything unless a link was found between Ottawa and the school.

Favel says he plans to show the documents to Metis National Council president Clem Chartier to get his opinion on them.

Favel is indicating the documents were found in the archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas.