Toronto Star – According to the most recent estimate of Awacak, a group which brings together bereaved families, at least 200 indigenous children have disappeared or died after being admitted to a hospital in Quebec. A number that makes sense, confirms the office of Ian Lafrenière, Quebec’s Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs. On Sept. 1, 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) take effect. The bill allows personal information to be communicated to the families – and not only to the parents – of Indigenous children who have disappeared or died following admission to a Quebec health establishment. It gives access to medical archives and those of religious congregations.

The cases of Indigenous children who disappeared or died in the same circumstances as Line were documented in the supplementary report on Quebec of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in the country in 2019. The story is almost always the same: an Indigenous child would get sick, they were sent outside the community to be treated in the nearest hospital, but never returned. And the parents were left without answers. Such cases have been reported in Quebec since the 1940s and until the late 1970s. Without commenting on any of the testimonies recounted during this report, Alain Arsenault, Awacak’s legal advisor. Arsenault affirms that in some of her files, “clues suggest” the same modus operandi as during the “’60s Scoop”, where children were taken from their families for adoption in Canada and the United States.

Bill 79 allows members of an Indigenous family to make an official request to the Family Support Team, active since Sept. 1. This team should assist families in their research. Bill 79 applies to health and social services establishments, religious organizations or congregations. It does not include residential schools, unless a resident has died after being admitted to hospital. The legislation covers the period before Dec. 31, 1992. A family can apply until September 2031. The law also gives the Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs the power to investigate in the event of a refusal to disclose “information likely to reveal the circumstances surrounding the disappearance or death of a child.” The Minister must submit an annual report no later than March 31 of each year.