Application to drop defendants from residential school lawsuit delayed

An application to drop the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the International Grenfell Association as defendants from the residential school class action lawsuit has been delayed.

More than 1,000 residential school survivors and family members in the province claim they should have been included when Canada apologized and paid compensation to residential school survivors.

Judge Robert Stack was scheduled to hear the application Monday, but a lawyer for the federal government was absent due to a medical emergency.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued the application hearing should go ahead, but Stack set it over until Nov. 16.

If the application is successful, the trial will be left with one defendant — the federal government.

The plaintiffs hope the federal government will settle the lawsuit out of court.