Class-Action Lawsuit Certified Over Alleged Abuse at Former B.C. Girls’ Institution

Former residents of a long-closed girls’ institution in British Columbia have secured a major legal step forward, after a court certified a class-action lawsuit alleging decades of systemic abuse.

The case centres on the Industrial Home for Girls, which opened in 1914 in Vancouver before later relocating to Burnaby and being renamed the Willingdon School for Girls. The facility operated until its closure in 1973.

The certification allows the lawsuit — launched in 2021 — to proceed on behalf of individuals who were held at the institution over its nearly 60-year history.

Allegations of systemic abuse

The lawsuit alleges that girls aged six to 18 were subjected to sexual, physical and psychological abuse while in custody at the facility.

According to court documents, some detainees were forced to undergo invasive medical procedures, including repeated genital examinations, and in some cases, forced sterilization.

New arrivals were allegedly placed in isolation for up to two weeks in confinement cells known as “the hole,” with some former residents claiming extended periods of solitary confinement as punishment.

The institution housed girls under laws such as the Juvenile Delinquents Act, often for offences that reflected the social attitudes of the time, including “incorrigibility” and “sexual immorality.”

Indigenous subclass recognized

The court also approved a separate subclass within the lawsuit for Indigenous plaintiffs, recognizing that Indigenous girls may have experienced distinct and disproportionate harms.

Plaintiffs argue that Indigenous girls were overrepresented at the institution and were often removed from their communities, sometimes from far outside Vancouver.

The lawsuit further alleges that the institution’s practices aimed to suppress Indigenous identity — including language, culture and spirituality — in favour of Eurocentric norms.

Legal claims and defendants

The lawsuit names the federal government, the Province of British Columbia and a former physician at the institution as defendants.

Justice Veronica Jackson ruled that several claims can proceed, including negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and misfeasance in public office against Canada.

Claims against the physician include battery, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.

For the Indigenous subclass, the court allowed additional claims involving alleged breaches of constitutional and Aboriginal rights.

What certification means

Class-action certification does not determine liability. Instead, it confirms that the case meets the criteria to proceed as a collective lawsuit on behalf of a defined group.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs say the number of potential class members could be in the thousands, given the institution’s decades of operation, though many former residents may no longer be alive.

A long road ahead

The lawsuit is expected to take years to resolve, either through trial or settlement.

In a statement, B.C.’s Ministry of the Attorney General said it is reviewing the court’s decision and considering its legal options.

For survivors and their families, the certification marks an important step toward accountability for what many have described as a deeply traumatic chapter in the province’s history.