ST. JOHN'S (CANADA)
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) [Toronto, Canada]
March 13, 2026
By Terry Roberts
Justice minister says inappropriate for her to comment with asked if provincial government is involved
Lawyers who have spent years fighting the Catholic church for compensation for abuse victims in Newfoundland and Labrador are describing an agreement with an unnamed third party as “substantial,” though it could be weeks before details of the settlement are revealed to the public.
“It’s a substantial amount and it’s a significant move,” St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham told CBC News on Friday.
So far it’s being described as an “understanding” related to a third party’s liability to the abuse survivors, and it came up during proceedings before Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Justice Garrett Handrigan on Thursday.
There’s no official gag order from the court on identifying the third party, but all sides have informally agreed to disclose very few details, including how much money is on offer.
Justice minister declines comment
In the past, lawyers for the victims have expressed hope that settlements could be reached with insurance companies and other third parties linked to the church, and the provincial government.
When asked on Thursday if the province was the unnamed third party, Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer declined to comment.
[PHOTO: The former Mount Cashel orphanage property in St. John’s is shown in 1996. (CBC)]
“The independence of the judiciary is sacred and has to be respected,” said Ottenheimer.
More will be revealed when the matter is back before Handrigan in late April, said Buckingham.
“It’s going to be a good amount of money,” he said.
Buckingham, who represents 91 survivors, said money from this latest settlement should start to flow by the end of the summer.
Geoff Budden, who represents 216 claimants, described it as a “positive development for survivors.”
Roughly $37M paid to survivors to far
It’s the latest development in an insolvency case involving the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s, which has been in creditor protection since late 2021. The corporation has been found vicariously liable for the abuse at Mount Cashel orphanage, which was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and those who suffered abuse at the hands of clerics throughout the archdiocese.
The corporation is the business arm of the St. John’s archdiocese, and has been selling off assets such as churches and other properties in a historic effort to compensate victims.
A court-approved process has approved a $121-million settlement for the more than 300 abuse survivors.
So far nearly $50 million has been raised through the sale of church assets and a $13-million deal that saw the provincial government acquire full ownership of nearly three dozen schools previously owned by the episcopal corporation.
Roughly $37 million has so far been paid to the victims.
Buckingham said the agreement with the unnamed third party will not cover the large shortfall that still exists.
“It’s going to take us a good way there. And we will continue the discussions with all third parties that we have identified, and we will see what’s going to happen with the insurance litigation,” he said.
“We are committed to getting the maximum amount of money for each of these survivors,” he added.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reporter
Terry Roberts is a reporter with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John’s. He previously worked for the Telegram, the Compass and the Northern Pen newspapers during a career that began in 1991. He can be reached by email at Terry.Roberts@cbc.ca.