Ottawa, hospitals argue Montreal brainwashing lawsuit should be dismissed

Alison Steel was a young child when her mother was sent to Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron and his colleagues at Montreal's Allan Memorial Institute in the 1950s, to treat what her daughter believes was likely depression triggered in part by the loss of another child.
After rounds of electroshocks, induced comas and experimental drugs her mother, Jean, emerged from the psychiatric hospital a changed person — childlike, unable to perform everyday tasks, and as her daughter puts it, "in her own world."
Now, hopes for compensation for Steel and the families of other patients allegedly brainwashed decades ago at the Allan Memorial rest in the hands of a judge who must decide on a bid by the federal government and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) to dismiss their lawsuit.
Last week, a Quebec Superior Court judge heard arguments from lawyers for the government and the hospital who argued the families waited too long to file claims of the treatment their siblings and parents received under the MK-ULTRA program, funded by the Canadian government and the CIA between the 1940s and 1960s at the Allan Memorial.
Steel is joined by about 50 families who have brought the lawsuit alleging their loved ones were subjected to psychiatric experimentation that included powerful drugs, repeated audio messages, induced comas and shock treatment.
"Our families were treated like guinea pigs," she said outside a Montreal courtroom on Friday.
In court, David Baum, a lawyer who represents the MUHC and its affiliated hospital the Royal Victoria, said while the hospitals felt compassion for the families, they believe their legal efforts to secure compensation to be "ill-advised, misguided and doomed to fail."
Baum told Justice Christian Brossard that the procedure was prescribed — meaning it was filed after the window to bring forward a suit — and sought to re-litigate issues that have already been "extensively addressed" by previous court cases going back decades.
"It's our view that, in the interest of justice and the parties themselves, that this court should not advance a recourse that ultimately has no chance of success," Baum told the court.
Baum and a lawyer for the Attorney General of Canada claimed Steel and the other family members had all the information they needed to sue years or even decades ago.
They noted that some former patients received $100,000 in compensation beginning in the 1990s, which was offered without an admission of guilt on the government's part. Those patients also signed releases renouncing further claims.
Alan Stein, the lawyer representing the families, bristled at the claims that his clients' case represents an "abuse of procedure," as the other side has argued.
"If anyone is abusive, it's the government of Canada and the Royal Victoria Hospital in this case," he told the judge.
In court, he also suggested the current motion to dismiss is a delaying tactic from hospital and government lawyers, noting the issue of time limits were not raised in previous court proceedings.
Experimentation also hurt family members, say plaintiffs
While Cameron's treatments have spawned decades worth of reports and legal action, Steel and the other family members argue that they were only able to obtain their families' medical records in the last few years, and had only recently realized that there was an avenue open to them to sue, as family members.
Stein said that while previous compensation was offered to some former patients, nobody has sufficiently recognized the impact of the alleged treatments on their children or siblings, who lived for decades with the repercussions.
"They say we are abusing their procedures...no, they're abusing us by making us wait this long," Steel said.
She said the full scope of what happened to her mother only became clear in recent years, when she managed to obtain her mother's medical records and, with Stein's help, obtain compensation for her mother's estate.
That settlement was part of what encouraged others now involved in the suit to seek out medical records and explore legal options.
Glenn Landry, a member of the lawsuit, says he was raised by foster families after his mother became incapable of caring for him after she received treatments. While he maintained a relationship with her, he described her as an "empty shell" who never shared insights on her life.
Landry said he and others have faced resistance over the years when trying to obtain their family members' medical records. He said he acted to join the lawsuit as soon as he finally got his mother's records in 2018.
He sees the argument over time limits as an "excuse" by institutions who want to avoid addressing a historical wrong by delaying as long as possible.
He noted the government and hospital lawyers have also suggested suspending the case until a separate proposed class action by another set of alleged victims can be held. If that happens, and the case is delayed further, "more of us [will be] dead," he said.
Brossard said Friday he will issue a decision at a later date.

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Toronto Sun

10-06-2025

• Toronto Sun

Families attend authorization hearings in Montreal for brainwashing class-action suit: 'It's destroyed a lot of lives':

The lawsuit covers alleged abuse at the Allan Memorial Institute between 1948 and 1964. Published Jun 09, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 3 minute read Lana Ponting, 83, says she was subjected to severe physical and mental abuse, along with psychiatric experimentation at the Allan Memorial Institute when she was only 15. Allen McInnis/Montreal Gazette Lana Ponting was only 15 years old when she was admitted to the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal. As a rebellious teenager, it was believed the psychiatric hospital could address her 'stubbornness and disobedience.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Instead, she says, she was subjected to severe physical and mental abuse, along with psychiatric experimentation that would later become infamously known as the Montreal experiments. Now 83, frail and requiring a walker, Ponting travelled from Winnipeg to be at the Montreal courthouse Monday as authorization hearings in a class-action lawsuit over the alleged abuse began. 'It's destroyed a lot of lives,' Ponting said outside the courtroom, anger in her voice. '(I want them) to see us, to feel us. I'm alive. I will not stop. I will fight until the end.' Filed in 2019, the class-action request alleges the Canadian government funded psychiatric treatments by Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron at the institute between 1948 and 1964. The experiments were allegedly part of the CIA's MK-ULTRA program of covert mind-control. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In addition to the government, the lawsuit also targets McGill University, which was affiliated to the psychiatric hospital, and Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital. 'This is not a medical or professional malpractice case. … This is a case of systemic abuse,' lawyer Jeff Orenstein told the court on Monday. 'When people went to the Allan Memorial, they were told they would be receiving legitimate treatment,' he added. 'Instead they were human guinea pigs.' The defendants are contesting the class-action request, partly arguing the families waited too long to file their claims according to the law. The Canadian government also contends that some families accepted $100,000 payments from the federal government in the 1990s, which then barred them from pursuing further legal action. They will plead their case on Tuesday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Orenstein, for his part, argues the victims were unable to act earlier because of the trauma and psychological pain they endured. He believes the suit could grow to include several hundred people. The lawsuit had tried to include the U.S. government as a defendant, but Quebec's Court of Appeal ruled that the U.S. cannot be sued in Canada for its alleged role in the experiments; the Supreme Court of Canada refused to review the case. Julie Tanny, the lead plaintiff in the case, said she spent years not speaking about what happened to her father, Charles, because of the stigma attached. The few times she did, she added, she was met with disbelief. Present for the hearing, Tanny said she still can't accept the way her father changed after his stay at the institute in 1957 to treat facial pain. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She described the warm and engaged father she once knew as having completely 'evaporated' after his treatment. He grew distant and barely recognized his children. 'For a kid, it's very traumatizing to have that relationship go away and not really understand why,' said Tanny, 71. 'It was the beginning of a nightmare for hundreds and hundreds of families.' In court on Monday, Orenstein detailed the experiments Cameron carried out on patients, noting how they were all well-documented at the time. Rather than scientific efforts, he compared them to acts of psychological torture. He described how patients were allegedly subjected to sensory deprivation and drug-induced comas, forced to listen to repeated audio messages on loop and to undergo extensive electroshock treatment. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In some cases, he said, people were reduced to a childlike state. Others left the hospital as 'robots with no human emotions.' Lisa Moore, whose mother Hélène was sent to the hospital in the early 1960s, left the courtroom in tears as the alleged abuse was described, her emotions too difficult to contain. Now 54, Moore grew up in foster care and spent decades resenting her mother for how she treated her. But hearing the extent of what she went through laid bare in court on Monday provided a new perspective. 'It wasn't her fault. They took away her ability for compassion,' said Moore, who reconciled with her mother in recent years. 'It's very overwhelming,' she added. 'I just keep imagining what it was like for her.' With files from The Canadian Press. Toronto Blue Jays Ontario Olympics Sunshine Girls Columnists

Montreal Gazette

09-06-2025

• Montreal Gazette

‘It's destroyed a lot of lives': Families attend authorization hearings in Montreal for brainwashing class-action suit

News By Lana Ponting was only 15 years old when she was admitted to the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal. As a rebellious teenager, it was believed the psychiatric hospital could address her 'stubbornness and disobedience.' Instead, she says, she was subjected to severe physical and mental abuse, along with psychiatric experimentation that would later become infamously known as the Montreal experiments. Now 83, frail and requiring a walker, Ponting travelled from Winnipeg to be at the Montreal courthouse Monday as authorization hearings in a class-action lawsuit over the alleged abuse began. 'It's destroyed a lot of lives,' Ponting said outside the courtroom, anger in her voice. '(I want them) to see us, to feel us. I'm alive. I will not stop. I will fight until the end.' Filed in 2019, the class-action request alleges the Canadian government funded psychiatric treatments by Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron at the institute between 1948 and 1964. The experiments were allegedly part of the CIA's MK-ULTRA program of covert mind-control. In addition to the government, the lawsuit also targets McGill University, which was affiliated to the psychiatric hospital, and Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital. 'This is not a medical or professional malpractice case. ... This is a case of systemic abuse,' lawyer Jeff Orenstein told the court on Monday. 'When people went to the Allan Memorial, they were told they would be receiving legitimate treatment,' he added. 'Instead they were human guinea pigs.' The defendants are contesting the class-action request, partly arguing the families waited too long to file their claims according to the law. The Canadian government also contends that some families accepted $100,000 payments from the federal government in the 1990s, which then barred them from pursuing further legal action. They will plead their case on Tuesday. Orenstein, for his part, argues the victims were unable to act earlier because of the trauma and psychological pain they endured. He believes the suit could grow to include several hundred people. The lawsuit had tried to include the U.S. government as a defendant, but Quebec's Court of Appeal ruled that the U.S. cannot be sued in Canada for its alleged role in the experiments; the Supreme Court of Canada refused to review the case. Julie Tanny, the lead plaintiff in the case, said she spent years not speaking about what happened to her father, Charles, because of the stigma attached. The few times she did, she added, she was met with disbelief. Present for the hearing, Tanny said she still can't accept the way her father changed after his stay at the institute in 1957 to treat facial pain. She described the warm and engaged father she once knew as having completely 'evaporated' after his treatment. He grew distant and barely recognized his children. 'For a kid, it's very traumatizing to have that relationship go away and not really understand why,' said Tanny, 71. 'It was the beginning of a nightmare for hundreds and hundreds of families.' In court on Monday, Orenstein detailed the experiments Cameron carried out on patients, noting how they were all well-documented at the time. Rather than scientific efforts, he compared them to acts of psychological torture. He described how patients were allegedly subjected to sensory deprivation and drug-induced comas, forced to listen to repeated audio messages on loop and to undergo extensive electroshock treatment. In some cases, he said, people were reduced to a childlike state. Others left the hospital as 'robots with no human emotions.' Lisa Moore, whose mother Hélène was sent to the hospital in the early 1960s, left the courtroom in tears as the alleged abuse was described, her emotions too difficult to contain. Now 54, Moore grew up in foster care and spent decades resenting her mother for how she treated her. But hearing the extent of what she went through laid bare in court on Monday provided a new perspective. 'It wasn't her fault. They took away her ability for compassion,' said Moore, who reconciled with her mother in recent years. 'It's very overwhelming,' she added. 'I just keep imagining what it was like for her.'

CTV News

28-05-2025

• CTV News

Patients with advanced cancers to take part in promising MUHC clinical trial

Patients with certain advanced cancers could be the first in Canada to test a new therapy at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). The hospital explains that some patients with metastatic pancreatic, lung and breast cancers are being invited to follow in the footsteps of a previous global trial for metastatic prostate cancer, dubbed the LuMIERE clinical trial. 'We are leading the charge in bringing radioligand therapy to Canadian cancer patients,' said Dr. Ramy Saleh, medical director of oncology clinical trials at the Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM) of the Research Institute at the MUHC. 'This trial is a major milestone that reinforces our role as a national leader in nuclear precision medicine. Our goal is clear: to offer new hope and innovative experimental treatment options to patients who have exhausted conventional therapies.' The MUHC explains that, unlike chemotherapy, immunotherapy or traditional radiation therapy, radioligand therapy (RTL) utilizes elements called ligands (ions or neutral molecules) and radioisotopes to target and kill cancer cells in the body. This would be the trial's second phase, following the 'positive results' of phase one, in addition to preclinical studies showing 'significant anti-tumour activity.' 'Radioligand therapy is an exciting new frontier in oncology,' said Saleh. 'Our commitment is to push the boundaries of cancer treatment and bring cutting-edge clinical trials to our patients here in Quebec and in Canada.' Radioligand therapy involves administering the [177Lu] Lu FAP 2286 drug intravenously to participants of the trial, targeting fibroblast activating proteins (FAPs). 'This therapy is designed to zero in on FAPs, ensuring the radioactive treatment reaches cancer cells while sparing normal tissue,' explains Dr. Farzad Abbaspour, head of the MUHC Nuclear Medicine Division. 'This level of precision could redefine cancer treatment as we know it.' Participants will first undergo PET scans to confirm the presence of FAPs before being confirmed as part of the trial. The therapy requires an injection every four weeks for a maximum of four to six injections. In comparison, immunotherapy treatment typically lasts for at least two years, whereas chemotherapy treatment can be ongoing for a lifetime. Once the work is done, the radioligands are simply eliminated by the body. The goal, says Saleh, is to extend patients' lifespans and improve their quality of life. He adds that there is still no cure for advanced cancers. People eligible for the trial include those with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer. With files from The Canadian Press.