News Releases and Media Advisories

Montreal, April 23, 2013 -- The deadline for individuals who attended the Mistassini Hostels in Northern Quebec to apply for compensation under the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) has been extended to September 2, 2013.

The Mistassini Hostels were added to the list of eligible Indian Residential Schools under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) in August 2012. In March 2013, a Quebec Superior Court judge issued an order extending the application deadline under the IAP to September 2, 2013 for individuals who attended the Hostels.

Since September 2, 2013 falls on a holiday, the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat (IRSAS) will accept applications from individuals who attended the Mistassini Hostels until 11:59 pm, Pacific time, on September 3, 2013.

Individuals must have lived at, been a student at, or attended an official school activity at the Hostels while under the age of 21 between September 1, 1971 and June 30, 1978 in order to apply for compensation under the IAP.

Built by the Government of Canada in the late 1960’s, the Mistassini Hostels consisted of three cottage-style hostels to accommodate students who attended a day school on the Mistassini Band reserve while their parents were out trapping or hunting. The hostels began operating in the Fall of 1971, and housed up to 36 elementary students a year. Each hostel was supervised by a local couple.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) owned the Mistassini hostel buildings and was jointly responsible for their operation and the care of the children who lived there. On July 1, 1978, the Cree School Board assumed responsibility for the administration and operation of the Mistassini Hostel as part of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

IRSAS staff are working with staff from the James Bay Cree First Nation and the Cree Regional Authority to ensure that individuals who attended the Mistassini Hostels are aware that the institution has been added to the list of eligible schools under the IRSSA, and that the application deadline has been extended. Radio and print advertisements will be placed in local media outlets to inform individuals who attended the Hostels that they may be eligible for compensation under the IAP.

Individuals who attended the Mistassini Hostels who wish to make a claim for compensation under the Independent Assessment Program can obtain further information and an application form by calling the Toll Free IAP Info Line at 1-877-635-2648.

A Guide to the IAP and an application form are also available on the IRSAS website.

The deadline for submitting an application for compensation under the IAP for students who attended other institutions under the IRSSA passed on September 19, 2012, and remains unchanged.

Individuals who attended the Mistassini Hostels may also be eligible for the Common Experience Payment.

IRSAS is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that administers the Independent Assessment Process. It operates independently from the parties to the 2007 IRSSA, including the Government of Canada. As of March 31, 2013, IRSAS had received 37,716 applications for compensation under the IAP. 20,413 cases have been resolved and more than $1.952B has been paid out in compensation by the Government of Canada.

Contact:
Michael Tansey
Media Relations
Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat
(613) 851-4587 (cell)
(819) 934-1444 (office)
michael.tansey@irsad-sapi.gc.ca
www.iap-pei.ca