VANCOUVER (CANADA)
Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, British Columbia]
August 1, 2026
By Sarah Grochowski
The settlement involves all-boys schools Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby, with Justice Simon Coval finding it was ‘fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the class members as a whole.’
The B.C. Supreme Court has approved a $30-million settlement of a class-action lawsuit over historical claims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse at two private Metro Vancouver Catholic schools.
In a ruling released Thursday, the court approved the settlement involving all-boys schools Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby, with Justice Simon Coval finding it was “fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the class members as a whole.”
The class action was launched in 2021 and approved in 2023, brought by former students who alleged members of the Christian Brothers of Ireland, a Catholic religious worldwide order, abused them. It involved students who attended Vancouver College between 1976 and 2013 and St. Thomas More Collegiate between 1976 and 1989.
The case was set to go to trial in 2024 but was adjourned while parties worked toward a settlement. A tentative agreement was reached in February.
The lawsuit included allegations from former students at both schools, involving claims of sexual and physical abuse by Christian Brothers. The allegations have not been proven in court.
It alleged members of the Christian Brothers were transferred to the two Metro Vancouver schools from the disgraced Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John’s, N.L., which was known for abuse suffered by children in the 1950s and 1970s.
It claimed the transfers were arranged by Christian Brothers in the school’s leadership that was connected with the office of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver and was aware of the abuse at Mount Cashel.
The lawsuit alleged some of the members transferred from Mount Cashel and “went on to commit terrible abuse of some students at the two schools.”
Coval said more than 200 former students have confidentially identified themselves to class counsel, with about 10 per cent reporting sexual abuse with lasting impacts on their relationships, employment, anger, addiction and problems with authority.
According to a 2023 ruling by Coval, the class action was the preferable way to address numerous related claims. The allegations were aimed mainly at former or current Christian Brothers Edward English, Kevin Short, Douglas Kenny and Joseph Burke.
The Mount Cashel abuse scandal was revealed after allegations in the 1980s, which led to a Royal Commission and criminal charges against more than a dozen people who worked at the orphanage.
Four of the six Christian Brothers transferred from Mount Cashel to the Vancouver schools were later criminally convicted, including defendants English and Kenny.
Coval said a common issues trial would be long and difficult, especially for those required to testify. He added that “the claims process is designed to compensate class members as fairly and quickly as possible by means of a trauma-sensitive, non-adversarial process.”
Under the settlement, claims will be assessed through a two-tier process. Tier 1 claims, intended for less severe or shorter-term impacts, are capped at $30,000. Tier 2 claims require additional evidence and interviews and include a $1-million cap for loss of income and earning capacity, while pain and suffering and other damages are not capped.
The court also approved legal fees and expenses totalling about $9.6 million, including a 29 per cent contingency fee. Class counsel reduced its fee to increase the amount available to survivors by about $1.43 million.
During the hearing, the two schools said they supported a restorative justice process and public apology if the settlement was approved.
Vancouver College previously said in a statement posted to its website that it hoped the settlement would represent “an important step forward.”
“Vancouver College remains committed to a trauma-informed reconciliation process, and we believe in truth and restorative justice. We understand and support the importance of ensuring that victims of any abuse have their experiences heard to facilitate healing and understanding.”
The Archbishop of Vancouver submitted statements expressing “outrage and discouragement from the failure of the church leaders to prevent abuse, allegations of moving abusers between institutions, a lack of care for victims, and a commitment to supporting survivors on the path to healing.”
A dozen class members opted out to pursue individual lawsuits against the defendants, most of which had been filed before the settlement was reached.
– With files from Tiffany Crawford