Summary of Criminal Injuries Compensation Programs

Prov Include secondary victim? Time limit 1 Interim awards? 2 Police report required (co-operation)? Reduction or denial if victim culpable Max. awards Periodic payments Offender notified?
BC Yes 1 year Yes Report is not required, cooperation is Yes No maximum provided, some maximums provided for different types of offences. Yes No
AB No 3 2 years Yes Yes Yes $110,000 Yes No
SK Yes 2 years Yes Yes Yes $100,000 Yes No
MB Yes 1 year Yes Yes Yes $186,000 Yes No
ON Yes 2 years; except for sexual assault and domestic assault where there is no time limit to apply. Yes No, but cooperation with police may be taken into consideration. Yes, denial $25,000 or $1,000 / month up to $365,000 lifetime maximum Yes Yes, if there is no conviction
PQ Yes 2 years, Doctor’s note including diagnosis is needed to apply Yes No, but cooperation with police may be taken into consideration. Yes No maximum, except in relation to salary replacement: up to 90%, maximum $53,500. Yes No
NB Yes 1 year Yes Yes Yes $10,000 No No
NS 4 Yes 1 year No Yes Yes $2,000 for Counselling; $4,000 for counselling for immediate family members of homicide victims Yes No
NF 5 – – – – – – – –
PE Yes 1 year Yes Yes Yes The maximum amount payable to all applicants in respect of the injury or death of one victim is $15,000. The maximum amount payable to all applicants in respect of one occurrence (ie, one incident resulting in injury or death to more than one victim) is $30,000.  No No
NU 6 – – – – – – – –
YT 7 No 2 months No No Yes, denial No maximum provided One payment only No
NT No 2 months No No Yes, denial No maximum provided One payment only No

Notes:

  1. In most provinces, the Board may extend the time limit for filing an application.
  2. The Board may consider awarding interim payments if: the victim is in actual financial need and it appears to the Board it will probably grant compensation to the applicant.
  3. A survivor of a homicide victim can apply for death benefit. Costs of a victim’s funeral can be reimbursed upon proof of payment. The maximum aggregate total amount payable for death benefits in respect of a particular victim, regardless of the number of applicants, is $12 500.
  4. The Criminal Compensation program in Nova Scotia no longer provides monetary compensation for lost wages, medical/dental and /or funeral services to a person harmed as a result of a violent crime. The program will now provide only counseling for victims. Interim awards are not offered as counsellors are paid directly by the program.
    Nova Scotia’s 1 year limit on counselling funding does not apply in cases of childhood abuse.
  5. The Crimes Compensation program in Newfoundland was abolished in 1992. Newfoundland does provide for short term counselling and funding for travel and associated costs to present victim impact statement at a sentencing hearing; travel and costs to attend counselling sessions approved under the Victim Services Professional Services Program and travel and costs to attend a pre-court preparation meet/case meeting with a Crown. Funding is accessible to clients of the program who meet eligibility requirements. The Victim Services Regional Coordinator will work with victims to identify the need for specific services. The Regional Coordinator will make a request on the victim’s behalf to program management. For more information, please contact the local victim services office: http://www.victimserviceshelp.ca/contact.html
  6. The Crimes Compensation program in the Northwest Territories was abolished in 1996 and Nunavut has the same Act. In recent years, NT has accessed funds from the Department of Justice Canada in order to provide financial assistance to victims through the Victims of Crime Emergency Fund.
  7. The Crimes Compensation program in the Yukon Territories was abolished in 1993.

My name is Donna McCully.

It was always our wish to live in Jamaica in our dream home. So, in August 2012, my husband Sedrick Levine and I left Canada to move into our new home. We were thrilled to finally be starting the next chapter in our lives, in Sedrick’s beloved homeland. He bought a little bus and planned to operate tours for visitors to the island. I was helping him run this business venture, as part of our semi- retirement in Jamaica.

My life as I knew it was suddenly shattered when two masked men broke into our home on Sunday, November 17, 2013. Sedrick struggled with the men, allowing me to flee upstairs to call the police. His actions saved my life that day, and that of my father and his housekeeper, who were visiting us at the time. One of the masked intruders chased me upstairs and kicked in the bathroom door, but he stopped when he heard a gunshot from downstairs.

My husband Sedrick was killed that day and the men fled our home with a laptop. The Jamaican police have not yet found these men or charged them with killing my beloved husband. Their motive remains unknown.

This crime has completely changed my life. I suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder now and have depression as a result. I came back to Canada, but I feel very isolated since this happened. These emotional scars may never heal.

I managed to find the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime by searching online one day. I didn’t know where to turn for help when I came home to Canada. The CRCVC has provided me with a lot of emotional support, which has been tremendously helpful. They’ve also written numerous letters to Jamaican officials seeking justice for Sedrick, as well as intervening with Canadian officials on my behalf. The office also helped connect me to a trauma therapist for counselling sessions too.

In order to try and make sense of what happened to Sedrick, it is my hope that others could support the work of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. There are so many other victims/survivors out there who also need their assistance.