Former residents of a dozen Ontario institutions for people with developmental disabilities, including the former Oxford Regional Centre in Woodstock, will now be able to access their shares of a $36-million dollar settlement with the Province of Ontario.
The settlement was reached in November and has now been approved by the Superior Court of Justice.
The suit, which was granted class action status in August of 2015, alleged abuses committed against plaintiffs at the following facilities:
- Oxford Regional Centre (Woodstock) - April 1, 1974 to March 31, 1996 or in the "Mental Retardation Unit" - January 1, 1969 to March 31, 1974
- Adult Occupational Centre (Edgar) - January 1, 1966 to March 31, 1999
- Bluewater Centre (Goderich) - April 1, 1976 to December 20, 1983
- D'Arcy Place (Cobourg) - September 1, 1963 to December 31, 1996
- Durham Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped (Whitby) - April 1, 1974 to September 28, 1986
- L.S. Penrose Centre (Kingston) - April 1, 1974 to March 31, 1977
- Midwestern Regional Centre (Palmerston) - September 1, 1963 to March 31, 1998
- Muskoka Centre (Gravenhurst) - August 28, 1973 to June 30, 1993
- Northwestern Regional Centre (Thunder Bay) - April 1, 1974 to March 31, 1994
- Pine Ridge (Aurora) - September 1, 1963 to August 31, 1984
- Prince Edward Heights (Picton) - January 1, 1971 to December 31, 1999
- St. Lawrence Regional Centre (Brockville) - April 1, 1975 to June 30, 1983.
Former residents have four months to ask for a copy of their personal resident files. They'll then be advised on the next steps in getting their share of the settlement.
In 2013, the province awarded survivors of three similar institutions $67.7-million. Compensation funds were made available to former residents of the Rideau Regional Centre, the Huronia Regional Center and the Southwestern Regional Centre in Chatham-Kent.
-With files from Ashton Patis
