People who lived at one of 13 provincially operated Ontario training schools between 1953 and 1984, and who were alive on December 8, 2015, may qualify to claim $5,000 to $100,000 from the $60 million CAD Province of Ontario training schools class action settlement. Claims close September 22, 2027.
Current Status
Claims are open. The Claims Administrator, Epiq Class Action Services Canada, must receive Claim Forms by September 22, 2027; the settlement agreement sets the deadline at midnight on that date but does not name a time zone. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the settlement on May 21, 2026. Payments will be made after all timely claims and reconsideration requests have been processed, and no payment date had been announced as of October 3, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
The settlement resolves Brown v. His Majesty the King in Right of the Province of Ontario, a class action filed in December 2017 on behalf of people who lived at provincial training schools, where young people were sent under Ontario’s training schools legislation. The lawsuit alleges that Ontario is liable for harms suffered by residents of the schools in connection with its management and operation of them; the settlement’s compensation categories cover general harm, physical and sexual assault, and solitary confinement. Ontario denies the allegations and any liability, and the court did not decide who was right. The case was certified as a class action in December 2018.The parties signed the settlement agreement on January 21, 2026. Justice Glustein heard the approval motion on May 1, 2026 and approved the settlement on May 21, 2026 (2026 ONSC 2880), finding it fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the class. On June 26, 2026, Ontario and the representative plaintiff jointly announced the approval, and Ontario published the public acknowledgment of harm that forms part of the settlement. The claim form and the notice of settlement approval are dated June 2026, and claims can now be filed online, by email or by mail.
Who Qualifies?
The class is every person who was alive on December 8, 2015 and who lived at one of these institutions during the period listed for it:- Pine Ridge School, Bowmanville (formerly the Ontario Training School for Boys): January 1, 1953 to its closure in 1979
- Cold Springs Forestry Camp: January 1, 1963 to its closure in 1976
- Hillcrest School, Guelph: January 1, 1953 to its closure in 1978
- Brookside School, Cobourg (formerly the Ontario Training School for Boys at Galt, Northumberland and Cobourg): January 1, 1953 to April 2, 1984
- Trelawney House, Port Bolster: August 1959 to its closure in 1973
- Kawartha Lakes School, Lindsay: 1962 to its closure in 1979
- Glendale School, Simcoe: 1962 to July 30, 1974
- White Oaks Village, Hagersville (junior school): 1966 to 1978
- Sprucedale School, Hagersville (senior school): 1966 to April 2, 1984
- Cecil Facer School, Sudbury: 1971 to April 2, 1984
- Project DARE – Portage Lake: June 1971 to 1976
- Project DARE – Wendigo Lake, South River: 1972 to April 2, 1984
- Syl Apps Youth Centre, including its earlier names as the Galt reception and diagnostic centre and the Oakville Reception and Assessment Centre: 1958 to April 2, 1984
Seven other institutions are expressly excluded, including Grandview Training School and the St. Joseph’s and St. John’s training schools. A person is also not eligible if they previously sued Ontario individually over their time at a training school, signed a release of those claims, opted out earlier in the case, or opts out by March 22, 2027.
How Much Can You Get?
Ontario will pay up to $60 million CAD. That amount also covers class counsel’s court-approved fees, the Class Proceedings Fund levy, administration costs and an honorarium for the representative plaintiff. Each claimant chooses one of two tracks:- Track 1, general harm: $5,000 for an eligible claimant who affirms that they experienced harm while living at a listed school.
- Track 2, physical and sexual assault and solitary confinement: a single award at one of five levels — $7,500, $15,000, $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000 — set by the Compensation Plan according to the type and severity of what the claimant describes. The $7,500 level covers a physical assault causing an observable injury or certain periods of solitary confinement; the higher levels cover serious physical injury and progressively more serious forms of sexual assault by staff.
A Track 2 claimant receives only the highest level their claim qualifies for, and the maximum award is $100,000. People who attended a listed school only before September 1, 1963 can claim under Track 1 only. All awards can be reduced on a pro rata basis if approved claims exceed the money available, so the amounts above are the scheduled awards rather than guaranteed payments. Track 2 claimants can also be reimbursed up to $1,500 for counselling or other professional support used to prepare their claim.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
No notice ID or claim code is required, and no training school records or other documents proving harm are needed. The claim form asks for a copy of one piece of government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s licence, passport, provincial ID card or permanent resident card, showing a name and date of birth that match the form.A Track 1 claim is made by checking a box affirming harm and listing the school or schools attended and the approximate dates. A Track 2 claim requires a written declaration describing what happened, signed and affirmed in front of a witness such as a lawyer, paralegal, commissioner of oaths or notary. For Track 1 claims, Ontario reviews its own records to check whether a claim falls outside the class, and the claimant or class counsel can send information in response if Ontario says it does. A person filing on behalf of someone who died on or after December 8, 2015, or for a legally incapable class member, attaches proof of death and proof of their legal authority, as described in the Questions below.
What Is the Deadline?
Claim Forms must be received by the Claims Administrator by September 22, 2027. The settlement agreement defines the deadline as midnight on that date, without stating a time zone. The administrator can accept a late claim received within three months after the deadline if the claimant gives written reasons and shows they meant to file on time but could not because of disability or the effects of trauma, lack of notice, a third party’s fault, a delay in getting requested documents, or other exceptional circumstances.Two other dates fall earlier: requests for training school records under the fast-track process are due October 22, 2026, and the opt-out deadline for anyone who wants to keep the right to sue Ontario individually is March 22, 2027.
How Do You Take Action?
Claims can be submitted through the online claim form or by downloading the PDF claim form from the Training Schools Class Action website and sending it to the administrator by email or mail. Each class member submits one claim form covering every listed school they attended. The court-approved notice says a lawyer is not needed and that both the administrator and class counsel, Koskie Minsky LLP, help with claims at no charge. The claim form warns that it may bring up difficult memories, suggests having someone trusted help, and lists mental health support resources.What Happens Next?
The administrator reviews claims as they arrive, and Ontario checks Track 1 claims against its records each month. Track 2 claims are assessed under the Compensation Plan, and a claimant who disagrees with a decision can ask for reconsideration; the reconsideration decision is final. Under the settlement agreement, money is allocated only after all timely claims have been processed and all reconsideration requests have concluded, which places payments after the September 22, 2027 deadline and the late-claim window. No payment date had been announced as of October 3, 2026.Sources and Verification
- Training Schools Class Action — official Claims Administrator website
- Koskie Minsky LLP, class counsel case page (case history and court documents)
- Long-Form Notice of Settlement Approval (June 2026)
- Claim Form (June 2026)
- Settlement Approval Order, May 21, 2026, with the Settlement Agreement and Compensation Plan attached
- Reasons for Decision approving the settlement, 2026 ONSC 2880 (May 21, 2026)
- Ontario Newsroom: Settlement Reached in Ontario Training Schools Class Action Lawsuit (June 26, 2026)
Questions
Which training schools are not part of this settlement?
The court-approved notice states that the class does not include people who resided at Grandview Training School, St. Joseph’s Training School for Boys, St. John’s Training School, the Ontario Training School for Girls in Toronto, the Central Wardship Planning Unit, Elmcrest School or Champlain School. The settlement covers the 13 listed institutions, during the dates set for each.
Does a claimant need their training school records?
No. The court-approved notice says no training school records or other documents proving harm are needed to make a claim, although a claimant may attach records if they have them. Separately, former residents can ask Ontario for a copy of their records through a fast-track request form submitted by October 22, 2026; Ontario will produce those records by March 22, 2027, and asking for them does not affect a claim.
Can a claim be filed for someone who has died?
Yes, if the class member died on or after December 8, 2015. The person filing provides the death certificate and proof of authority to act for the estate, such as a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee, a Small Estate Certificate, a will naming them estate trustee, or a witnessed declaration that there is no will or court-appointed trustee together with proof that they are the deceased’s spouse or kin. A guardian of a legally incapable class member can also file with proof of guardianship.
Are support costs for preparing a claim covered?
Track 2 claimants can be reimbursed up to $1,500 for fees charged by a doctor, psychologist, social worker, counsellor or therapist for support while preparing and delivering their claim. Reimbursement requires a separate Support Reimbursement Claim Form with the receipts or invoices attached.
Did Ontario admit wrongdoing?
No. The settlement agreement states that Ontario denies the allegations and any liability, and the court did not decide who was right. As part of the settlement, Ontario issued a public acknowledgment of harm experienced by class members at the training schools, published on the Ontario Newsroom on June 26, 2026.
