Closing arguments heard in $5B First Nations housing class action lawsuit

Stefan Richard · CBC News

· Posted: May 02, 2025 4:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Chiefs and citizens from First Nations crossed Canada progressive successful a people enactment suit against Canada for  failing to supply capable housing descended connected Winnipeg this week to person their voices heard.

Elder Delores Fiddler of Sandy Lake First Nation was 1 of galore to stock the interaction of the lodging situation has had connected her family. Her 19-year-old granddaughter died from Blastomycosis, a fungal corruption contracted by inhaling mould spores.

"They did an autopsy connected her. They told maine wherefore she died. She died of that mould. Do you guys person a mouldy location they told us? Yeah, it's each mouldy," said Fiddler.

"We marque a structure extracurricular to person caller aerial truthful we don't person to respire successful immoderate is wrong our home."

Jonovan Flett, a begetter of 2 from St. Theresa Point, grew up successful 10 antithetic houses successful the community. Flett explained that helium had to perpetually determination due to the fact that everyplace his household ended up was overcrowded.

"None of this is normal," said said Flett. "It's not mean for babies to beryllium covered successful rashes due to the fact that their houses are infested with mould."

Grand Chief Alex McDougall of Anisininew Okimawin, an enactment that represents St. Theresa Point and different Anisininew Nations successful the aforesaid region, said, the contented is simply a "longstanding failure" of the national authorities and the provincial partners "who indispensable beryllium reminded of the ineffable work embedded successful our treaties."

"Canada forced america onto the reserves, which were slivers of our accepted territories and they deprived america from maintaining our self-sustaining ways of beingness that person been practised by our ancestors for thousands of years," said co-lead plaintiff, Chief Raymond Flett of St. Theresa Point.

"Now, Canada says it has nary work to supply lodging connected reserve." 

The people enactment is seeking $5 cardinal successful damages.

"The Plaintiffs urged the Court to admit that the lodging situation connected reserve is the nonstop effect of authorities conduct, and asked the Court to admit that Canada has a ineligible work to instrumentality tenable measures to guarantee the Class has entree to capable housing," said Alana Robert, plaintiff's ineligible counsel, successful an email sent to CBC Indigenous.

Canada said successful its connection of defence it acknowledges St. Theresa Point's assertion that immoderate lodging sub-divisions deficiency moving h2o and sewerage work contiguous but that the assertion should beryllium dismissed.

"Canada does not beryllium immoderate ineligible obligations oregon duties to physique and support houses on-reserve," the connection of defence read.

The last arguments were heard connected Thursday. A last determination is expected successful the coming months.