ONLY CLAIMANTS CAN REQUEST OR CONSENT TO PRESERVE IAP & ADR DOCUMENTS

My Records, My Choice


The Courts have ruled that IAP and ADR claim records are sensitive and confidential. Claimants control the release of their claim records outside of the compensation process. They may do that by requesting a copy of their records for themselves or by consenting to the preservation of their records for history at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Claimants, and claimants alone, may exercise these rights.

When a claim is being adjudicated, the Indian Residential Schools Secretariat discloses claim records to the claimant, the legal representative of the claimant and other participants in the claim for the purpose of the confidential compensation process.

Because claimants alone control the release of their claim records outside of the compensation process, the Secretariat only accepts requests for claimants to obtain their records for themselves, or consents to the preservation of their records at the NCTR, from claimants. Requests or consents from anyone else (children or other relatives, friends, neighbours, estate administrators, counsel, academics, researchers or others) are not accepted.

Deceased or incapable claimants

A claimant who dies, or is or has become incapable of making decisions for themselves, cannot request a copy of their claim records for themselves or consent to the preservation of their records at the NCTR. No one else may exercise those rights for them.

The Secretariat does not accept requests or consents from anyone else (children or other relatives, friends, neighbours, estate administrators, counsel, academics, researchers or others) on behalf of claimants who are deceased or incapable of making decisions for themselves.

Forms must be signed by the claimant

All request forms for claim records, and all consent forms to preserve claim records at the NCTR, must be signed by the claimant. Forms that are not signed by the claimant will be returned. Records that claimants request for themselves will only be sent to the claimant, at the address indicated on the claimant’s signed request form.