First Nations war veterans

Canadian veterans returning from World War II were offered generous government assistance programmes — except for First Nations veterans, who were simply sent back to their reserves, with a fraction of the farming, housing and educational opportunities that were made available to the non-Natives at whose side they had fought. After decades of fruitless representations by First Nation veterans, Klippensteins was retained as co-counsel to sue on behalf of the Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Associations, and to assist First Nation veterans at the national level. We began legal proceedings and organized compelling economic expert evidence.

In response, the government agreed to a Round Table for discussions and the vets suspended litigation. When the Round Table produced nothing, the veterans declared that they were resuming litigation. The federal minister immediately announced in the House of Commons a $39 million compensation offer. The new offer formed the basis for further negotiations and an eventual settlement. The First Nations veterans who had been neglected for decades finally saw a measure of the recognition they had so long deserved.