A federal judge has approved a landmark deal to compensate members of the military and other agencies who were investigated and sometimes fired because of their sexual orientation.
Cheers of joy and celebratory hugs greeted the decision of Federal Court Justice Martine St-Louis after hours of testimony today from class action members.
Gay military veterans told St-Louis they were interrogated, harassed and spied on because of their sexuality.
Get daily National news
Sobbing could be heard from onlookers as a steady stream of men and women took turns at a microphone to lament how being gay or lesbian made them enemies of their own country.
- 11 charged in connection with events leading up to fatal police shooting of teen Nooran Rezayi
- N.B. seafood company reaches $225M deal to acquire salmon farming operations
- $87B Quebec plan aims for 77% of energy consumed in province by 2050 from renewables
- Evacuation order remains in place as glacial lake bursts near Pemberton
An agreement in principle in the court action was drafted last November, just days before the government delivered a sweeping apology for decades of discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community.
The final settlement includes at least $50 million and up to $110 million in total compensation, with eligible individuals each expected to receive between $5,000 and $175,000.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.