Former training school residents sue the province

Sudbury's Cecil Facer Youth Centre

Former residents of what were once called juvenile detention centres in Ontario, also called training schools, are suing the province.

It's a class-action lawsuit involving 21,000 people, and it's seeking $600 million in damages.

Some of those were at Sudbury's Cecil Facer facility from 1971 to 1984.

The statement of claim says the detention facilities created a “toxic environment” in which physical, sexual, and psychological abuse of children was frequent and widespread.