The Calgary Stampede has reached a $9.5 million settlement over a historic sexual assault allegation.

The Calgary Stampede and a group of people suing the organization for failing to protect them from child sexual predators have reached a preliminary settlement of $9.5 million, according to a joint statement released by lawyers for both sides.

The settlement still has to be approved by a court, and details such as how the money will be divided among the class-action members still need to be worked out. If approved, the deal would end years of legal wrangling between the Stampede and a group of men who claim they were sexually exploited, abused or threatened as part of the Young Canadians song and dance group.

The Stampede's insurers will pay $9.5 million to settle claims in the class-action lawsuit, the filing said.

Stampede and by court order only N.B. A spokesman for the lawsuit, which can be identified as the plaintiff, said “we hope the ruling will provide a measure of closure to the affected class members and aid in the healing process.”

The deal also includes a “commitment to additional and expanded 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 alleges the organization failed to take steps to protect children from harm and then spent years defending its inaction in court.

In a class action initiated in 2017, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Ltd. and the Calgary Stampede Foundation alleges that Philip Hirema, who worked and volunteered with young Canadians for decades, was not properly vetted or monitored. it's one of the Stampede's crown jewels. The lawsuit also said Stampede failed to respond properly to information that Mr. Herema was harming or likely to harm children.

As the Stampede's alleged failures span decades, Mr. Hirema's alleged wrongdoing, ranging from intimidation to sexual assault, has affected dozens of young children who are now members of the class action.

Mr Hirema was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018 for sexually exploiting six members of the Young Canadians. The convictions stemmed from incidents that took place between 1992 and 2014. But the lawsuit alleges his abusive behavior stretched back to 1987 and affected far more boys than police discovered.

In January, Mr Hirema was released on parole for one day. At his parole hearing, he acknowledged that there were many victims. The Calgary Police Service said it had not reopened the investigation into Mr. Herema because it had not received any new reports from additional victims.

Stampede spent years fighting the class action lawsuit. In court documents last June, he denied wrongdoing and said he was not responsible for Mr Hirema's actions. A month later, the Stampede agreed to accept “liability for liability” and pay 100 percent of the damages awarded or assessed.

The organization has yet to explain its dramatic tactical change. Attorneys for the Stampede and the class action have been in negotiations since the July reversal.

In a statement Tuesday, the Stampede and people related to the class action would comment on “the specifics of the settlement agreement, claims and the liquidation process” after the court approves the deal.