Didyouliveat the Rideau Regional Centre or Southwestern Regional Centre between 1963 and 2009?

Thereis a lawsuitaboutRideau and there is another lawsuit about Southwestern.

Many people labeled with intellectual disabilities lived at Rideau and Southwestern. The lawsuits are about what happened to them between 1963 and 2009.

Many people were harmed or hurt when they lived at Rideau and Southwestern. Some of those people started lawsuits against the government of Ontario.

The government of Ontario was in charge of Rideau and Southwestern. The people who started the lawsuits say that the government did not protect the people who lived at those places.

Am I part of the lawsuit?

If you lived at Rideau or at Southwestern between 1963 and 2009, you are part of the lawsuit about that place unless you:

  • took yourself out of the lawsuit about that place
  • got money in another lawsuit about that place
  • signed a release about that place in another lawsuit

What is happening in the lawsuits?

The lawyers for people who lived at Rideau and Southwestern have talked to the government. The lawyers found a way to settle the lawsuits. They made agreements to end the lawsuits without a trial. These agreements are called settlements.

Are these lawsuits over?

No, the lawsuits are not over yet. First the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto must give permission for the settlements. The Court must decide that the settlements are fair and reasonable. On February 24 and February 25, 2014, the lawyers will ask the Court to make this decision.

What do the settlements say?

The settlements say:

  • The government must put aside 20.6 million dollars for people who lived at Rideau. And the government must put aside another 12.1 million dollars for people who lived at Southwestern. If you lived at Rideau or Southwestern, you could get up to $2000 if you were harmed or hurt there. You could get up to $42,000 if you write how you were harmed or hurt. You will need to fill out a form to ask for the money, and send the form to a claims office. That office decides if you will get money.
  • There may be money left over after everyone is paid. This money goes to programs for people labeled with intellectual disabilities and their families. Those programs could get up to $2.7 million dollars.
  • The government must apologize using a law called the Apology Act.
  • The settlements also give ways to remember what happened at Rideau and Southwestern.

The settlements do not say that the government broke the law or did anything wrong. The Court will not make a decision about that. And the settlements protect the government from more lawsuits about what happened to people who lived at Rideau and Southwestern between 1963 and 2009.

What if I lived at Rideau and I do not agree with the settlement for Rideau? Or if I lived at Southwestern and I do not agree with the settlement for Southwestern?

You can send a letter to tell the Court to say that you do not think the settlement is fair. Send your letter to Rideau Regional Centre Class Action or Southwestern Regional Centre Class Action at:

3-505, 133 Weber Street North

Waterloo, Ontario

N2J 3G9

You must get to your letter to this office by February 12, 2014. Or the Post Office must stamp your letter by February 12, 2014.

Can I talk to the Judge?

You might be able to talk to the Judge, but first you must send your letter. Write in your letter that you want to talk to the Judge. Then go to the Court on February 24 and 25, 2014. You should check that this date does not change.

To get the Court’s address and check the date and time:

  • Phone 1-800-305-2942 if you lived at Rideau or 1-877-797-6678 if you lived at Southwestern
  • TTY 1-877-627-7027 for both Rideau and Southwestern
  • Visit if you lived at Rideau or if you lived at Southwestern

How can I find out more about the lawsuits and the settlements?

These are just main points. For more information about Rideau you can read the long form notice here or the short form notice here .

For more information about Southwestern you can read the long form notice here or the short form notice here

.

And there is more information in the settlements. You can get a copy of the Rideau settlement from . You can get a copy of the Southwestern settlement from .

You can also ask questions. You can ask your questions by:

  • Mailing a letter to Rideau Settlement or Southwestern Settlement at 3-505, 133 Weber Street North Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3G9
  • Sending an email to or
  • Calling toll-free 1-877-305-2942 for Rideau or 1-877-797-6678 for Southwestern
  • Calling toll-free TTY 1-877-627-7027 for both Rideau and Southwestern

DoyouknowsomeonewholivedatRideau or Southwestern?

Pleasesharethisinformationwiththemortheirsupportperson.