The lawsuit alleges that Ontario is liable for certain harms suffered by residents of Training Schools. Ontario denies these allegations. The Court did not decide who was right. The Parties have instead reached a voluntary Settlement, which was approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on May 21, 2026.
The "Class" or "Class Members" includes all persons who were alive as of December 8, 2015 who resided at any of the following institutions during the time periods set out below (the "Training Schools"):
The Class does not include persons who resided at: (1) Grandview Training School, (2) St. Joseph's Training School for Boys, (3), St. John's Training School, (4) Ontario Training School for Girls, Toronto; (5) Central Wardship Planning Unit; (6) Elmcrest School; and (7) Champlain School.
Under the Settlement, the Defendant will pay up to $60 million. This amount includes payments to compensate approved Claimants, as well as certain fees and expenses associated with the Settlement, including Class Counsel's legal fees in the amount approved by the Court, the Class Proceedings Fund Levy (the Class Proceedings Fund provided funding so that this litigation could be pursued), Administration Costs, and an Honorarium for the Representative Plaintiff as approved by the Court.
The Settlement provides the following types of compensation to Class Members who submit a Claim that is approved by the Claims Administrator. Class Members must choose between making a Track 1 Claim and a Track 2 Claim.
Claimants who qualify for Track 2 compensation may only receive the highest level of compensation for which their Claim qualifies. The maximum amount of compensation available under the Settlement is $100,000.
| Who is Eligible | Possible Award Amount¹ |
|---|---|
| Track 1 – General Harm Payment | |
| All Eligible Claimants who experienced harm at any of the Training Schools. | $5,000 |
| Track 2 – Compensation for Physical and Sexual Harm, and Solitary Confinement² | |
| One or more physical assaults resulting in an observable injury such as a black eye, bruise or laceration; or Placement in dissociation or solitary confinement for 24 or more consecutive hours, on more than one occasion within a 30‑day period or for 48 or more hours on any one occasion. | $7,500 |
| One or more physical assaults causing a Serious Physical Injury.³ | $25,000 |
| Non‑consensual sexual touching by staff that is not a Serious Sexual Assault.⁴ | $15,000 |
| Repeated non‑consensual sexual touching of breasts, genitals or buttocks that is not a Serious Sexual Assault; or A single non‑consensual act of forceable sexual touching to attempt oral, vaginal or anal penetration that is not a Serious Sexual Assault. | $50,000 |
| One or more incidents of Serious Sexual Assault. | $100,000 |
¹ All awards will be subject to pro rata reductions, if necessary.
² Class members who only attended a Training School prior to September 1, 1963 may only seek compensation under Track 1.
³ "Serious Physical Injury" means physical injury that led to (a) hospitalization; (b) permanent or demonstrated long-term physical injury, impairment or disfigurement; (c) broken bones; or (d) a serious but temporary incapacitation such that bed rest or infirmary care of four or more days' duration was required.
⁴ "Serious Sexual Assault" means non-consensual oral, vaginal or anal penetration.
As part of the Settlement, Ontario issued a public acknowledgment of harm experienced by Class Members at the Training Schools. You can read the acknowledgment by visiting: Ontario Newsroom Link.
Class Members can participate in the Settlement by making a Claim.
The period for making a Claim runs until September 22, 2027. During that period, you may make a Claim by filling out the Claim Form and submitting it to the Claims Administrator online, by mail, or by email, on or before September 22, 2027.
If you are a Class Member, you must submit a fully completed Claim Form before September 22, 2027. The Claims Administrator will review your Claim Form and determine if you are eligible for compensation according to the procedures and criteria set out in the Settlement.
You will not be eligible for compensation if you previously commenced an individual claim against Ontario regarding your time at a Training School and/or executed a release of your claims against Ontario, or previously opted yourself out (excluded yourself) from this class action, or if you decide to opt out of this class action on or before March 22, 2027.
To be eligible to receive money from the Settlement, you must make a Claim by following these steps:
You do not need to hire a lawyer in order to make a Claim for compensation under the Settlement.
If you require assistance, the Claims Administrator and Class Counsel can answer any general questions you may have about the claims process and assist with your claim, at no charge. Their contact information is available under FAQ #20.
You do not need your Training School records or any supporting documentation "proving" that you experienced harm at the Training Schools to make a Claim.
The only exception is if you are making a Claim on behalf of someone else, including a Class Member who passed away on or after December 8, 2015, or a Class Member who is legally incapable of executing a Claim Form:
(a) If you are claiming on behalf of the estate of a Class Member who passed away on or after December 8, 2015, you need to provide a copy of the Class Member's death certificate, along with documentation establishing you have legal authority to act on their behalf, including:
(b) If you are claiming on behalf of a legally incapable Class Member, you need to provide documentation establishing you are their legally recognized guardian.
A third-party Claims Administrator (Epiq) was appointed by the Court to administer the Settlement and Compensation Plan. The Claims Administrator will review and decide all Claims according to the Settlement and Compensation Plan.
There is no right to appeal the Claims Administrator's determination of a Track 1 Claim. That determination is final and binding.
Track 2 Claimants may make a request for reconsideration by submitting a Reconsideration Request Form to the Claims Administrator within sixty (60) days of the date of their determination letter. The Reconsideration Request Form will be made available on this website in due course.
Track 2 Claimants seeking reconsideration should set out the reasons they disagree with the Claim Administrator's determination of their Track 2 Claim in as much detail as possible, and include any relevant information and/or supporting documentation they think the Claim Administrator failed to consider in determining their Claim the first time.
If you do not make a Claim, you will not be able to get any money from the Settlement and you will be forever releasing any legal claims you may have had against Ontario in relation to its management and operation of the Training Schools.
Unless you previously opted out, or opt out on or before March 22, 2027, you will not be able to sue Ontario independently for your experiences in the Training Schools.
Even if you previously provided information to Class Counsel or to another lawyer, you must still submit a fully completed Claim Form to the Claims Administrator, specifically for this Settlement, prior to the deadline, to be eligible to receive money.
Yes, if you have legal authority to do so.
If you are submitting a Claim on behalf of someone else, you must provide sufficient documentary proof that you have authority to act on their behalf. See FAQ #9 for the types of documents required.
Track 2 Claimants are eligible for reimbursement of up to $1,500 to cover fees charged by a doctor, psychologist, social worker, counsellor, or therapist for the provision of support services provided in relation to the preparation and delivery of their Claim.
To get reimbursed, Track 2 Claimants must submit a Support Reimbursement Form to the Claims Administrator attaching all receipts or invoices. Visit www.TrainingSchoolsClassAction.com to download a copy of the Support Reimbursement Form or request a copy from the Claims Administrator.
You do not need your Training School records or any supporting documentation "proving" that you experienced harm at the Training Schools to make a Claim.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of your Training School records for your own purposes, you can do so by submitting a Training School Record Request Form on or before October 22, 2026. All requests submitted by October 22, 2026 will be processed by Ontario on an expedited basis and produced no later than March 22, 2027.
Visit www.TrainingSchoolsClassAction.com to download a copy of the Training School Record Request Form or request a copy from the Claims Administrator.
Approved Claims will not be paid until after the Claims Deadline, and after all Claims have been finally determined. This will be a lengthy process, given the length of the claims period (15 months) and the volume of potential claims. At this time, given the steps required, it is estimated that payments will not begin to be made until 2028.
After the Claims Deadline passes, the Claims Administrator will post updates on its website regarding updated timelines.
There are three payment options for Claimants to choose from:
Claimants must choose one of the three payment options by making a selection on page 19 of the Claim Form.
Claimants should only choose the "Cheque" option if they are unable to receive compensation by Direct Deposit or Email Money Transfer. Cheques will be sent by regular mail to the address provided on the Claim Form and will expire if not cashed promptly.
Class Members may opt out of the class action if they want to keep their right to sue Ontario about their experience at the Training Schools individually instead of making a Claim under the Settlement.
You may opt out (remove yourself from the lawsuit) by submitting a signed Opt-Out Form by March 22, 2027. You can contact the Claims Administrator using the details below to obtain an Opt-Out Form. If you opt out, you will not be able to make a claim for money under the Settlement.
The Court has appointed Koskie Minsky LLP as Class Counsel. You may contact Class Counsel toll-free at 1-866-860-9364 or by email at TrainingSchoolsClassAction@kmlaw.ca.
You will not be charged for contacting these lawyers with questions about the Settlement. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.
This notice summarizes the Settlement and how to make a Claim. More details are in the Settlement Agreement and its schedules, which you can download from www.TrainingSchoolsClassAction.com.
The court offices are unable to answer any questions about the matters in this notice. If you have any questions regarding the Settlement or about the class action lawsuits in general, more information is available at www.TrainingSchoolsClassAction.com or by reaching out to the Administrator or Class Counsel directly at the contact information below. Please do not contact the court offices.
info@TrainingSchoolsClassAction.com / 1-877-239-4879
Training Schools Class Action Administrator
c/o Epiq Class Action Services Canada, Inc.
PO Box 507 Stn B
Ottawa, ON K1P 5P6
TrainingSchoolsClassAction@kmlaw.ca / 1-866-860-9364
Training Schools Class Counsel
Koskie Minsky LLP
20 Queen St. West, Suite 900
Toronto, ON M5H 3R4
Court Approval Date: June 22, 2026
Training Schools Records Request Deadline: October 22, 2026
(NOTE: You do not need your Training Schools records to make a claim for compensation. You can still request your Training Schools records from the Government of Ontario after this deadline passes. The Records Request Process is only for class members who want to get a copy of their Training Schools records on an expedited timeline for their own purposes.)
Final Opt-Out Deadline: March 22, 2027
Claims Deadline: September 22, 2027
Support Reimbursement Claim Deadline: September 22, 2027