Calgary Stampede to pay $9.5 million to settle class action lawsuit

The Calgary Stampede and the organization have agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging the organization allowed a performance school employee to sexually abuse young boys for decades.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the representative for the plaintiff and the Stampede defendants – Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Ltd. and the Calgary Stampede Foundation settled for $9.5 million in damages and expenses.

“The settlement includes an obligation for the Stampede defendants' insurers to pay an all-inclusive $9.5 million to settle the Class Members' claims,” ​​the statement said.

“It also includes a commitment to additional and expanded measures and programs.”

The trial involved Philip Hirema, who is serving a 10-year sentence in 2018 after pleading guilty to charges of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, child pornography and fraud.

Hirema admitted that between 1992 and 2014 he used his position at a performing arts school for young Canadians to recruit six boys for sex.

The Young Canadians is an art group that performs nightly in the Calgary Stampede Grandstand. The school is run by the Calgary Stampede Foundation.

The Stampede said it had not heard of any problems until 2014, but the victims cited evidence in Heerema's criminal trial that concerns were reported to Stampede officials in 1988.

A partial settlement was announced in July and approved by Justice Alice Woolley in September, in which the Stampede agreed to admit negligence and breach of duty in addition to paying 100 percent of the damages.

The settlement agreement is subject to approval by the court.

“If formally implemented, the parties hope that the resolution will provide a measure of closure to the affected class members and assist in the healing process,” the joint statement said.

After the contract has been approved by the court, the parties to the court may make additional comments.

With files from Teri Fikowski of CTV News Calgary