B.C. school for girls known as 'house of horror' subject of class-action lawsuit

A B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class-action lawsuit against the provincial and federal governments, as well as staff, concerning allegations of sexual, physical, and mental abuse at the Willingdon School for Girls (formerly the Girl's Industrial School) between 1914 and 1974. The school, referred to as a “house of horror” in internal documentation, housed girls as young as six who were sent there for criminal behavior or being deemed “unmanageable.” The lawsuit alleges systemic wrongs, including negligence and breach of fiduciary duty, and specifically cites allegations of non-consensual genital examinations and sterilizations performed by Dr. T.C. MacKenzie. Representative plaintiffs have been named for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous survivors. While some claims were dismissed, the majority of the lawsuit can proceed, seeking punitive and aggravated damages for the alleged harm suffered by the girls. The school operated first in Vancouver and later in Burnaby, aiming to provide 'education, industrial training and moral reclamation,' but was characterized by prison-like conditions and harsh punishments.

(Source：The Province)