Survivors of the Ile-a-la-Crosse Residential School want the old lawyer and class action lawsuit out and replace it with their new lawyers and a new class action first introduced last December. Former student of the school, Duane Favel is one of the plaintiffs in this case. His father also attended the school.

He explains that the Merchant Law Group and Tony Merchant were representing them in the first proposed lawsuit which began 17 years ago but says the committee hasn’t heard from them for years. They want to move on and have their new lawyers introduce a new class action lawsuit.

Staying proceedings would allow the litigation and potential settlement process to move forward. Favel says it has been going on too long. “Every month we lose a survivor. Every year we lose many survivors. They are getting to the age they just can’t wait any longer. There is a form of desperation. These survivors want to be alive when this is settled.” No decision was made today in court.