EDWARDS BELL JEWITT WRITES

Financial Compensation Available for Survivors of Ralph Rowe’s Horrific Legacy

On October 30, 2023, Justice Warkentine of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved a $13.3 million settlement agreement for the class action claim against Ralph Rowe, Scouts Canada, and the Anglican Synod Diocese of Keewatin. The claim, centered on the pervasive sexual abuse by former Anglican priest and Scout leader Ralph Rowe, was brought by Koskie Minsky LLP on behalf of Indigenous youth.

Employment Contracts: A Quest for Enforceability

Quoting Macbeth, what is done cannot be undone. That being said, in the employment law context it has increasingly been the case that the termination clauses that have ‘been done’ are in turn ‘undoing’ the very contracts they form a part of because Courts are finding them invalid.

The Question of Jurisdiction for First Nation Operations

The foundational question with regard to labour relations and employment law for First Nation operations is that of Jurisdiction: Federal, or Provincial. Despite the Federal government having exclusive legislative authority in the Constitution Act, 1867 for “Indians, and Lands reserved for the Indians”, a number of areas falling under this authority overlap with Provincial legislative authority. The result has been widespread confusion into the relevant statutory or legislative regime for any given First Nation operation, and the related standards to adapt therein.