Focus: First Nations take feds to court over third-party managers – Law Times
An ongoing $30-million lawsuit against the federal government has the potential to provide more details about the inner workings of what happens when it appoints a third-party manager to administer the finances of a First Nation.
The Algonquins of Barriere Lake First Nation filed the action in the Ontario Superior Court earlier this year against the federal government, Atmacinta Hartel Financial Management Corp., and BDO Canada LLP. The case is reportedly the first instance of an action against the federal government for alleged breach of fiduciary duty and negligent misrepresentation under its third-party management powers.
Barriere Lake is a remote reserve in Quebec, more than 200 kilometres north of Ottawa, with housing shortages and high rates of unemployment.
