Saskatchewan apologizes and reaches agreement-in-principle with residential school survivors

An agreement -in-principle has been reached between the Saskatchewan government and those who attended an Indigenous residential school in a northern village in the province.

During a news conference held Sept. 29, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe apologized to survivors who were students at Île-à-la-Crosse School. Moe also said the province will be providing $40.2 million in compensation to them.

The agreement is intended to promote reconciliation, healing, wellness, education, language, culture and commemoration in the community, which is located about 450 kilometres north of Saskatoon. 

"On behalf of the Province of Saskatchewan I offer a sincere apology to the survivors and their families," Moe said. "Saskatchewan is at its best when we are working together with Métis and First Nations to make our province a place that everyone is proud to call home, and where we all have equal opportunity to prosper and live in safe, healthy communities."

Île-à-la-Crosse is a Métis community, but numerous children from neighbouring Dene communities were forced to attend the residential school.

Survivors of the school had been excluded from the federal Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement reached in 2006. That's because the school was determined not to qualify as an Indian residential school. 

A class-action suit on behalf of the Île-à-la-Crosse School survivors and their family members was then launched.

The Court of King's Bench of Saskatchewan is expected to approve the proposed settlement in early 2026. Individual claims can then be filed and processed.

"It is our sincere hope that this agreement provides closure to the former students of the Île-à-la-Crosse School and that it serves as a foundation for continued collaboration and success in the future," Moe said.

The Île-à-la-Crosse School was in operation from about 1820 until it burned down in the mid-1970s.

The Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School Steering Committee Inc. has been advocating for survivors of the school for more than two decades.

Elder Margaret Aubichon, who is a committee member and plaintiff in the suit against the government, attended the news conference with Moe when he made the apology.

"It’s a relief to reach this agreement-in-principle with Saskatchewan," she said. "It’s been a very long battle and we’ve lost a lot of survivors on the way here. Finally, we’re close to having some closure for the remaining survivors of Île-à-la-Crosse School and recognition and compensation for all the harm that we experienced as children."

Elder Emile Janvier, who is also a member of the steering committee and a former student at the school, was also present to hear Moe's apology and details of the agreement that was reached.

"I was taught at the Île-à-la-Crosse School that my heritage, language and culture were shameful," he said. "I’m proud that I’ve worked hard to reclaim my Indigenous identity, and that we’ve made our voices as survivors heard by these governments. This is an important step in our healing and in the process of reconciliation."

The agreement is considered a significant step in the lengthy struggle to have students’ harmful experiences at the school recognized.

Brennan Merasty, who is the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan Justice minister, said his father attended Île-à-la-Crosse School. He spoke positively of the agreement details.

"As someone who has grown up in this community and has lived experience with the intergenerational effects, I can say, unequivocally, this agreement-in-principle is a positive step in the right direction," he said.  I hope it will help Île-à-la-Crosse move forward and leave a meaningful legacy for generations to come."

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan officials advocated on behalf of the Île-à-la-Crosse School survivors during the litigation process.

During the news conference Moe was asked why it took the provincial government so long to acknowledge the history of Île-à-la-Crosse School.

"We haven't been government for that long," he said. "However, there have been successive governments that also had an opportunity to engage and move this conversation along. And I would say that we're late. We're late as the citizens of this province. We should have been here years ago doing this. It's important that we're here today."