Hearings at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on the Approval of the Ontario Final Agreement

Friday, December 5, 2025

What You Need to Know

• The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal will hold hearings on the motion to approve the Ontario Final Agreement in December 2025 and February 2026.

• On December 10-12 and 15-17, 2025, the Tribunal will hold cross-examinations of the witnesses who provided evidence on the motion to approve the Ontario Final Agreement.

• We anticipate that the witnesses for the moving parties (COO, NAN, and Canada) will be cross-examined on December 10-12, and the witnesses for the responding parties will be cross-examined on December 15-17.

• Oral argument for the motion to approve the Ontario Final Agreement will take place on February 26-27, 2026.

To Join the Hearings Virtually:

• Members of the public wishing to observe the hearings are able to register for the webinar at the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nV2UYXjTR–JJXRb-m8lXQ. After registering, a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar will be sent. The link is valid for all hearing dates scheduled, including February 26 and 27, 2026. 

To Join the Hearings In-Person:

• There is limited capacity to host in-person observation of cross-examinations in December. If you are a representative of a First Nation in Ontario and would like to attend in person, please contact: Tyler Gary, Social Sector Communications Officer, at gary@coo.org

• The Chiefs of Ontario will be hosting an additional in-person overflow viewing option for those attending the event in Ottawa who were not able to secure a spot at hearing room due to its limited capacity.

• Please note that all attending Chiefs and technicians will be responsible for covering their own expenses, including travel, accommodation, and meals; the Chiefs of Ontario will not be covering travel claims for this option. Please contact Tyler Gary, Social Sector Communications Officer, at gary@coo.org for more information.

• The location for oral argument in February 2026 has not yet been determined.

Background

• The Final Agreement on Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario (the “Ontario Final Agreement”) commits $8.5 billion over 9 years to implement extensive systemic reforms to the First Nations Child and Family Services Program designed to improve the lives of First Nations families in Ontario. The Ontario Final Agreement was negotiated between Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada.

• The Ontario Final Agreement arises out of the human rights case First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada et al. v Canada, 2016 CHRT 2.

• To learn more about the Ontario Final Agreement, visit: https://fncfsreform.ca. 

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