Crowds attend Family Day at the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary, July 9, 2023.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The Calgary Stampede and the group of men suing the organization for failing to protect them from a sexual predator when they were children have reached a tentative deal worth $9.5-million, according to a joint statement issued by lawyers for both sides.
The agreement must still be approved by the court and details, such as how the money will be distributed among members of the class-action lawsuit, must still be established. If approved, the deal will end years of legal wrangling between the Stampede and the group of men who allege that, as boys with the Young Canadians song and dance group, they were sexually exploited, abused or bullied.
The Stampede’s insurers will pay the $9.5-million to settle the claims in the class-action lawsuit, the statement said.
The Stampede and the lawsuit’s representative plaintiff, who by court order can only be identified as N.B., said they “hope that the resolution will provide impacted class members with a measure of closure and aid in the healing process.”
The deal also includes a “commitment to additional and enhanced measures and programs.”
The Calgary Stampede is one of Alberta’s most recognizable brands, a powerful political and cultural force, and is considered a symbol of the province’s western hospitality and heritage. But the lawsuit reflects how the organization failed to take action to protect children from harm and then spent years defending its inaction in court.
The class action, launched in 2017, alleged the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Ltd. and the Calgary Stampede Foundation did not adequately vet or oversee Philip Heerema, who spent decades volunteering and working with underage boys in the Young Canadians, the flashy performance-arts group that is one of the Stampede’s crown jewels. The lawsuit also alleged the Stampede did not properly respond to information that Mr. Heerema harmed or could harm children.
Because the Stampede’s alleged failures span decades, Mr. Heerema’s alleged wrongdoing, ranging from bullying to sexually abusive acts, affected dozens of young boys who are now members of the class action.
Mr. Heerema was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018 for sexually exploitive acts related to six members of the Young Canadians. The conviction was tied to incidents that took place between 1992 and 2014. But the lawsuit alleged that his abusive behaviour stretched back to 1987 and affected far more boys than police uncovered.
In January, Mr. Heerema was granted day parole. At his parole hearing, he admitted there are more victims. Calgary Police Service said it has not reopened the investigation into Mr. Heerema because it has not received any new reports from additional victims.
The Stampede spent years battling the class-action lawsuit. In court documents last June it denied wrongdoing and argued it was not liable for Mr. Heerema’s actions. A month later, the Stampede agreed to accept “responsibility for liability” and pay 100 per cent of damages that are awarded or assessed.
The organization has yet to explain its dramatic tactical shift. The Stampede and lawyers for the class action have been negotiating since the July reversal.
Tuesday’s statement said the Stampede and those tied to the class action will comment on the “particulars of a settlement agreement, claims and distribution process” once the court has approved the deal.