Ottawa's proposed review of St. Anne's residential school claims is inadequate, judge rules

An Ontario Superior Court Justice ruled Tuesday there will be an independent review of some St. Anne'sresidential school survivor claims but with some changes.

Justice Paul PerellsaidOttawa's review proposalis inadequate.

Perell is appointing JudgeIan Pitfieldto continue as an independent special adviser to conduct the review, with help froman advocate for all St. Anne's claimants.

Perell also saidthe Canadian government won'tparticipate in the St. Anne's review, and is expected topay all costs for the proceedings.

The school, located in Fort Albany in northeastern Ontario,operated from 1902 to 1976.

Last month, Ottawa requested an independent review of thousands of documents detailing sexual and physical abuse of Indigenous children at St. Anne's residential school.

In the 1990s, the Ontario Provincial Policeinvestigated claims of abuse at the school, which led to charges and some convictions of former staff. Documents from the investigation, however, were not made available to former students seeking compensation from Ottawa.

In 2014,the Ontario Supreme Court ruled the federal government had a duty to hand over the records.

Since then, St. Anne's survivors have been fighting to reopen compensation cases that were settled before those documents were released.

Survivors of St. Anne's rejectedCanada's offer of an independent review of their abuse claims.

Leo Ashamock isa board member with Peetabeck Keway Keykaywin Association Board, which means Fort Albany Back to Healing.

Hetold CBC News the group rejected the offerbecause it will focus on just a few survivors and will minimize the voices of the rest of the group.

He said the review could be seen as interference from Canada in their legal fight in seeking justice, andthe process would exclude potentially hundreds of survivors from telling their full stories with backing from OPP records the government has been ordered to release.

Read the recent ruling here.