Former residents of Ontario’s provincial training schools can claim from the $60 million CAD settlement without producing a single school record or document proving what happened to them. A copy of government photo ID is the only document every claimant must send. The choice that matters is which of two compensation tracks to use: a flat $5,000 for general harm, or a witnessed written account that can lead to an award of up to $100,000.
Status: Settlement approved May 21, 2026 | Claim deadline September 22, 2027 | Opt-out deadline March 22, 2027 | Records request deadline October 22, 2026
Who the Settlement Covers
The class is every person who was alive on December 8, 2015 and who lived at one of 13 provincially operated training schools during the period set for that school. Young people were sent to these institutions under Ontario’s training schools legislation.
| Pine Ridge School, Bowmanville (formerly the Ontario Training School for Boys) | January 1, 1953 to closure in 1979 |
| Cold Springs Forestry Camp | January 1, 1963 to closure in 1976 |
| Hillcrest School, Guelph | January 1, 1953 to closure in 1978 |
| Brookside School, Cobourg (formerly the Ontario Training School for Boys at Galt, Northumberland and Cobourg) | January 1, 1953 to April 2, 1984 |
| Trelawney House, Port Bolster | August 1959 to closure in 1973 |
| Kawartha Lakes School, Lindsay | 1962 to closure in 1979 |
| Glendale School, Simcoe | 1962 to July 30, 1974 |
| White Oaks Village, Hagersville (junior school) | 1966 to 1978 |
| Sprucedale School, Hagersville (senior school) | 1966 to April 2, 1984 |
| Cecil Facer School, Sudbury | 1971 to April 2, 1984 |
| Project DARE – Portage Lake | June 1971 to 1976 |
| Project DARE – Wendigo Lake, South River | 1972 to April 2, 1984 |
| Syl Apps Youth Centre (earlier the Galt reception and diagnostic centre and the Oakville Reception and Assessment Centre) | 1958 to April 2, 1984 |
Seven other institutions are expressly left out: Grandview Training School, St. Joseph’s Training School for Boys, St. John’s Training School, the Ontario Training School for Girls in Toronto, the Central Wardship Planning Unit, Elmcrest School and Champlain School. A person is also excluded if they already sued Ontario individually over their time at a training school, signed a release of those claims, opted out earlier in the case, or opts out by March 22, 2027.
Choosing Between the Two Tracks
Each claimant picks one track. One claim form covers every listed school the person attended.
| Track 1 — general harm | $5,000. The claimant checks a box affirming they experienced harm while living at a listed school, and lists the school or schools and approximate dates. |
| Track 2 — physical and sexual assault and solitary confinement | One award at one of five levels: $7,500, $15,000, $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000, set by the Compensation Plan according to the type and severity of what the claimant describes. |
The $7,500 level covers a physical assault that caused an observable injury, or certain periods of solitary confinement. The higher levels cover serious physical injury and progressively more serious forms of sexual assault by staff. A Track 2 claimant receives only the highest level the claim qualifies for, so the levels do not add together. People who attended a listed school only before September 1, 1963 can use Track 1 only.
A Track 2 claim requires a written declaration describing what happened, signed and affirmed in front of a witness such as a lawyer, paralegal, commissioner of oaths or notary. Track 2 claimants can also be reimbursed up to $1,500 for fees a doctor, psychologist, social worker, counsellor or therapist charged for support while preparing the claim, using a separate Support Reimbursement Claim Form with receipts or invoices attached.
Where the $60 Million CAD Goes
Ontario will pay up to $60 million CAD. That ceiling also covers class counsel’s court-approved fees, the Class Proceedings Fund levy, administration costs and an honorarium for the representative plaintiff. All awards can be reduced pro rata if approved claims exceed the money available, so the figures above are scheduled awards rather than guaranteed payments.
What You Need to Send
No notice ID or claim code is required, and no training school records or other documents proving harm are needed, although a claimant may attach records they have. The form asks for a copy of one piece of government-issued photo ID — a driver’s licence, passport, provincial ID card or permanent resident card — showing a name and date of birth that match the form.
For Track 1, Ontario checks its own records each month to see whether a claim falls outside the class. If Ontario says it does, the claimant or class counsel can respond with more information.
A family member can file for a class member who died on or after December 8, 2015, with the death certificate and proof of authority for the estate: a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee, a Small Estate Certificate, a will naming them estate trustee, or a witnessed declaration that there is no will or court-appointed trustee plus proof that they are the deceased’s spouse or kin. A guardian of a legally incapable class member can file with proof of guardianship.
Three Dates, in Order
| October 22, 2026 | Last day to request your training school records through the fast-track process. Ontario will produce them by March 22, 2027. Asking for them does not affect a claim. |
| March 22, 2027 | Opt-out deadline for anyone who wants to keep the right to sue Ontario individually. |
| September 22, 2027 | Claim Forms must be received by the Claims Administrator. The settlement agreement sets the deadline at midnight without naming a time zone. |
The administrator can accept a late claim received within three months after the deadline if the claimant gives written reasons and shows they meant to file on time but could not because of disability or the effects of trauma, lack of notice, a third party’s fault, a delay in getting requested documents, or other exceptional circumstances.
How to File
Claims go to the administrator, Epiq Class Action Services Canada, through the online claim form, or by downloading the PDF claim form from the Training Schools Class Action website and returning it by email or mail. The court-approved notice says a lawyer is not needed, and both the administrator and class counsel, Koskie Minsky LLP, help with claims at no charge. The claim form warns that it may bring up difficult memories, suggests having a trusted person help, and lists mental health support resources.
The Case and What Comes Next
The settlement resolves Brown v. His Majesty the King in Right of the Province of Ontario, No. CV-25-742100-CP, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The class action was filed in December 2017 and certified in December 2018. It alleges that Ontario is liable for harms residents suffered in connection with its management and operation of the schools. Ontario denies the allegations and any liability, and the court did not decide who was right.
The parties signed the agreement on January 21, 2026. Justice Glustein heard the approval motion on May 1, 2026 and approved the settlement on May 21, 2026 (2026 ONSC 2880), finding it fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the class. On June 26, 2026, Ontario and the representative plaintiff announced the approval, and Ontario published the public acknowledgment of harm that forms part of the settlement.
Track 2 claims are assessed under the Compensation Plan. A claimant who disagrees with a decision can ask for reconsideration, and that decision is final. Money is allocated only after all timely claims are processed and all reconsideration requests have concluded, which places payments after the September 22, 2027 deadline and the late-claim window. No payment date had been announced as of October 3, 2026. The Ontario training schools settlement page on OpenClassActions.com follows the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my training school records to claim?
No. The court-approved notice says no training school records or other documents proving harm are needed. You do need a copy of one piece of government-issued photo ID with a name and date of birth that match the claim form.
How much is the general harm payment?
Track 1 pays $5,000 to an eligible claimant who affirms they experienced harm while living at a listed school. All awards can be reduced pro rata if approved claims exceed the money available.
What is the largest award?
Track 2 has five levels, from $7,500 to $100,000, based on the type and severity of the physical assault, sexual assault or solitary confinement described. A claimant receives only the highest level they qualify for.
I attended before 1963. Can I still claim?
Yes, but people who attended a listed school only before September 1, 1963 can claim under Track 1 only.
Can I claim for a parent who has died?
Yes, if they died on or after December 8, 2015. You need the death certificate and proof of authority to act for the estate, such as a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee or a will naming you estate trustee.
When will payments be made?
Only after all timely claims and reconsideration requests are processed, which places payments after the September 22, 2027 deadline. No payment date had been announced as of October 3, 2026.
Sources
- Official Claims Administrator website and online claim form — Training Schools Class Action, administered by Epiq Class Action Services Canada.
- Settlement Approval Order and Reasons for Decision, Brown v. His Majesty the King in Right of the Province of Ontario, 2026 ONSC 2880, Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
- Ontario Newsroom — Settlement Reached in Ontario Training Schools Class Action Lawsuit (June 26, 2026).
- OpenClassActions.com — Ontario Training Schools Class Action Settlement.
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: Ontario Training Schools Class Action Settlement — which tracks this case against the court-approved notice and the official settlement website and is updated as the court rules.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.