Bill 79, An Act to authorize the communication of personal information to the families of Indigenous children who went missing or died after being admitted to an institution

NationTalk: During a tribute held in the community of Pakuashipi in the Côte-Nord region to the courage of the families of Indigenous children who went missing or died,  Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs Ian Lafrenière noted the submission of the first annual report on the application of the “Act to authorize the communication of personal  information to the families of Indigenous children who went missing or died after being admitted to an institution“. Accompanied by the members of the monitoring committee on the carrying out of the Act comprising representatives of Indigenous organizations and the Opposition parties, the Minister visited the community, which was the first to break the silence on the fate of its children, to symbolically submit the report to the bereaved families.

The Act came into force on September 1, 2021. It seeks to support Indigenous families in their quest to get answers concerning their children who went missing or died after being admitted to an institution prior to December 31, 1992. On February 28, 2022, six months after the Act came into force, the Minister revealed that 35 families had already approached the Direction de soutien aux familles, Anne Panasuk, the special family support advisor, or the Association des familles Awacak to formulate requests to search for 55 children. The government is determined to do all that it can to assist the families and those who follow them in their quest for the truth.

Through the legislation, the Québec government wishes to help the families and their communities shed light on the fate of their children. Everyone concerned hopes in this way to grasp the circumstances in which the children went missing or died, find out where they are, if they are still alive, or learn about their burial place.