Residents of the former Camp Ipperwash have just over a month to be included in the settlement of a class action lawsuit over unsafe drinking water in Canada's First Nations.
The area was recently included in an $8 billion settlement for individuals and impacted First Nations who were subject to a drinking water advisory for at least one year during a specific timeframe.
"They've never had potable water, so it was concerning that we weren't on that list because this related to all the individuals that have lived there and do live there," Chief Kimberly Bressette told Sarnia News Today.
Implementation and Property Management Director Amanda Bressette said claims for compensation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 17.
"As of July 19, 2024, the First Nations Drinking Water Class Action has now listed the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation as an impacted First Nation within Canada," Amanda Bressette said in a notice to the community.
"Accordingly, Stoney Point Lands (former Camp Ipperwash) shall be included in the settlement, within the 'Do Not Use' category for the following dates of water advisory from November 20, 1995, to June 20, 2021," she added.
Claim forms, which can be found online at www.firstnationsdrinkingwater.ca, can be submitted by regular mail, email, or fax.
More information can be found here.
A signing ceremony on April 14, 2016, marked the official return of the former Camp Ipperwash lands along with compensation.
The Canadian government expropriated the land in 1942 to build a military base.