CALGARY—The cost to compensate Indigenous people for perceived past injustices could hit $5.7 billion over the next five years, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Ottawa’s plans to reconcile with Indigenous people include major financial costs, and Canadians should be aware of those costs,” said Tom Flanagan, Fraser Institute senior fellow, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Calgary and co-author of The Costs of the Canadian Government’s Reconciliation Framework for First Nations.