Preliminary terms of settlement reached in 2011 Manitoba flood class action
LONDON, ON--(Marketwired - June 15, 2017) - The preliminary terms of a settlement have been reached which resolves the claims of members of the Lake St. Martin, Dauphin River, Little Saskatchewan, and Pinaymootang First Nations in respect of the 2011 flooding which resulted in thousands being evacuated, many still to this day. The terms of the settlement agreement are being finalized by the lawyers and must be approved by the court in order to be implemented.
This class action was initially started by the members of the four First Nations, alleging that the negligence of the defendants had caused the flooding in the spring of 2011, which resulted in the evacuations and other damages and losses. Certification of the class action was originally denied but was eventually certified as against Manitoba by the Manitoba Court of Appeal in January 2017.
The settlement will include payments to Class Members, payments towards legal costs, and payments for notice and claims administration.
According to Michael Peerless of McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP, co-counsel for the plaintiffs, "the parties engaged in difficult and protracted negotiations and the preliminary settlement represents valuable remuneration for the Class Members. We are very pleased with the settlement, and we commend Manitoba and Canada for entering into good faith negotiations and for ultimately agreeing to the terms with us."
Clifford Anderson of Pinaymootang First Nation and a member of the Class Action Steering Committee believes the preliminary settlement is in the best interest of community members, saying: "It has been six years since the flood happened and it's time for our members, our elders, and our young people to move home and move on."
Further information for class members is available at the website https://www.mckenzielake.com/practice-areas/class-actions-law/2011-manitoba-flood-class-proceeding
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