Canada Judgment

Federal Court

McLean v. Canada (Attorney General)

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Source document

01

Holding and result

The Court certified the action as a class proceeding, defined the Survivor and Family Classes and the Class Period, certified the enumerated common issues (a)–(f) for trial, appointed Garry Leslie McLean and Mariette Lucille Buckshot as Representative Plaintiffs for the respective classes, appointed Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP as Class Counsel, and ordered no costs on the certification motion pursuant to the Rules.

Court disposition

Action certified as a class proceeding; Classes and Class Period defined; common issues certified; Representative Plaintiffs and Class Counsel appointed; no costs on the motion.

Orders

  • This action is certified as a class proceeding against the Defendant Her Majesty the Queen.
  • The Survivor Class and Family Class are certified as defined in the order.
  • The Class Period is from and including January 1, 1920 to the date of closure or effective transfer of management and control of any particular Indian Day School.
  • Garry Leslie McLean is appointed as Representative Plaintiff for the Survivor Class and Mariette Lucille Buckshot is appointed as Representative Plaintiff for the Family Class.
  • The common questions of law or fact (issues (a) through (f)) are certified for the proceeding.
  • Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP is appointed as Class Counsel.
  • No costs are payable on this motion for certification in accordance with Rule 334.39 of the Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106).

02

Material facts

Parties

GARRY LESLIE MCLEAN et al.

Plaintiffs Counsel: Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA as represented by THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

Defendant Counsel: Attorney General of Canada

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Class Proceeding / Certification (motion)

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
Applicants sought certification of a class proceeding on behalf of two defined classes (Survivor Class and Family Class), proposed common issues for trial, appointed representative plaintiffs and proposed Gowlings WLG as Class Counsel. They sought the Court’s approval of the litigation plan and other class‑certification relief.
Respondent
Defendant consented in whole to the motion as filed and did not oppose certification; there was no contested defence argument on the certification motion.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Federal Court class certification jurisprudence

    Certification requires an identifiable class, common issues, a representative plaintiff with a viable claim, and that a class proceeding is the preferable procedure for resolution of the common issues.

  2. 02

    Federal Courts Rules and class action practice

    Court may appoint class counsel and representative plaintiffs and define classes and class period appropriate to the common issues certified.

  3. 03

    Federal Courts Rules, Rule 334.39 (SOR/98-106)

    No costs may be ordered on a certification motion where Rules provide for no costs in such circumstances.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The Court certified the action as a class proceeding, defined the Survivor and Family Classes and the Class Period, certified the enumerated common issues (a)–(f) for trial, appointed Garry Leslie McLean and Mariette Lucille Buckshot as Representative Plaintiffs for the respective classes, appointed Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP as Class Counsel, and ordered no costs on the certification motion pursuant to the Rules.

Obiter and limits

  • Defendant’s consent avoided adversarial testing of some contested factual matters but did not alter the certification criteria the Court applied.
  • Certification was limited to common issues; individual issues including assessment and quantification of damages remain for later proceedings.

Court disposition

Action certified as a class proceeding; Classes and Class Period defined; common issues certified; Representative Plaintiffs and Class Counsel appointed; no costs on the motion.

  • This action is certified as a class proceeding against the Defendant Her Majesty the Queen.
  • The Survivor Class and Family Class are certified as defined in the order.
  • The Class Period is from and including January 1, 1920 to the date of closure or effective transfer of management and control of any particular Indian Day School.
  • Garry Leslie McLean is appointed as Representative Plaintiff for the Survivor Class and Mariette Lucille Buckshot is appointed as Representative Plaintiff for the Family Class.
  • The common questions of law or fact (issues (a) through (f)) are certified for the proceeding.
  • Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP is appointed as Class Counsel.
  • No costs are payable on this motion for certification in accordance with Rule 334.39 of the Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106).

Source and reliance status

Federal Court · 21 June 2018

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Judgment text

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Source document

Federal Court

Judgment· 21 June 2018

2018 FC 642

McLean v. Canada (Attorney General) Court (s) Database Federal Court Decisions Date 2018-06-21 Neutral citation 2018 FC 642 File numbers T-2169-16 Decision Content Date: 20180621 Docket: T-2169-16 Citation: 2018 FC 642 Ottawa, Ontario, June 21, 2018 PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Phelan

CLASS PROCEEDING BETWEEN: GARRY LESLIE MCLEAN, ROGER AUGUSTINE, ANGELA ELIZABETH SIMONE SAMPSON, MARGARET ANNE SWAN and

MARIETTE LUCILLE BUCKSHOT Plaintiffs and HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA as represented by THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA Defendant

ORDER UPON MOTION, treated as a Rule 369 motion in writing, for an Order: a) certifying this proceeding as a class proceeding; b) certifying the Classes; c) stipulating the common issues for trial; d) appointing the Representative Plaintiffs; e) approving the Litigation Plan; f) appointing Gowlings WLG (Canada) LLP as Class Counsel; g) staying any other putative class action relating to this class proceeding pending further Order of this Court; and h) costs and other relief. AND UPON the Defendant consenting in whole to the Motion as filed: AND UPON the Court reading the materials filed; AND UPON being satisfied that this is an appropriate proceeding for certification as a Class Action upon the terms proposed; THIS COURT ORDERS that: This action is certified as a class proceeding against the Defendant Her Majesty the Queen. The Classes in this proceeding are defined as follows: (a) Survivor Class means all persons, wherever they may now reside or be domiciled, who attended an Indian Day School during the Class Period. (b) Family Class means all persons who are a spouse or former spouse, child, grandchild or sibling of a member of the Survivor Class and the spouse of a child, grandchild or sibling of a Survivor Class member. The Class Period is defined as follows: Class Period means the period from and including January 1, 1920 and ending on the date of closure of any particular

Indian Day School, or the date on which management and control of any particular Indian Day School was effectively transferred from Canada. The following persons are appointed as Representative Plaintiffs: (a) For the Survivor Class, Garry Leslie McLean; (b) For the Family Class, Mariette Lucille Buckshot. The common questions of law or fact in this proceeding are certified as follows: (a) Did the Defendant, through the establishment, funding, control, and maintenance of Indian Day Schools in Canada throughout the Class Period [the IDS System] owe a duty of care to the Survivor Class and the Family Class, or any member of either Class? (b) Did the Defendant, through the establishment, funding, control, and maintenance of the IDS System, breach a duty of care owed by it to the Survivor Class and the Family Class, or any member of either Class? (c) Did the Defendant, through the establishment, funding, control, and maintenance of the IDS System, breach a fiduciary duty owed to the Survivor Class and Family Class, or any member of either Class? (d) Did the Defendant, through the establishment, funding, control, and maintenance of the IDS System, breach a statutory obligation owed under the Indian Act or other statute to the Survivor Class and Family Class, or any member of either Class? (e) Did the Defendant, through the establishment, funding, control, and maintenance of the IDS

System, breach the Aboriginal rights of the members of the Survivor Class and Family Class? (f) What injury and damages have the members of the Survivor and Family Class suffered as a result of the breaches of Canada’s duties identified in issues (a) through (e) above? Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP is appointed as Class Counsel. No costs are payable on this motion for certification in accordance with Rule 334.39 of the Federal Courts Rules, SOR/98-106. “Michael L. Phelan” Judge

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Authorities

Authorities used by the court

Cases, legislation, regulations, and constitutional provisions identified in the available record.

Federal Courts Rules, SOR/98-106, Rule 369

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Federal Courts Rules, SOR/98-106, Rule 334.39

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Indian Act

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

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