Cost of Residential School…Billions, Cost of a brush-cut…priceless.
“Cost of residential school redress rising. Final settlement package likely to be more than $5-billion as 29,000 expected to line up for additional compensation for abuse.”
So read the above headline in the GLOBE AND MAIL published November 19, 2011 and written by a Bill Curry.
A lot of us former Junior boys of Grollier Hall remember well how the former bully Nun, Sister Hebert, had lined us up for our annual brush-cut on that early September arrival; after all, for years prior, lining up like numbered cattle through a corral was a regular process. Today, some forty years later, as the above noted article implies, we’re still lining up like numbered cattle…this time, it’s the corral known as the Independent Assessment Process (IAP).
“…the IAP, which allows former students to tell their story in a private hearing – sometimes with the alleged abuser present. Government-appointed adjudicators listen to the stories of abuse and approve compensation, using a matrix that increase the payment based on the severity of the physical or sexual abuse and the severity of the long-term emotional impact on the former students.”
Little did we know back then while lining up for those “priceless” brush-cuts, the line up would continue some forty years later… this time to “tell your story.” How many stories?
“Twenty nine thousand. That’s Ottawa’s latest estimate of how many people will ultimately come forward with compensation cases for physical and sexual abuse suffered at Canada’s native residential schools.”
The month of September seems quite symbolic too, it is that month of 2012 that represents the deadline to “come forward” for Survivors to ensure some sort of compensation in the IAP process.
Let’s ensure the line up continues…this time not for that “priceless” brush-cut or just an apology…it’s you and your story.
