VANCOUVER: Ninety-eight children of B.C.’s missing and murdered women are eligible to share $4.9 million from the Province, the Government of Canada and the City of Vancouver, pursuant to a key recommendation of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (MWCI). Among the 98 children some of them are children of victims of serial killer Robert Pickton
The $50,000-per-child compensation offer is intended to provide the children of the women identified in the MWCI report with an opportunity to enhance their education, housing or other circumstances as they progress with their lives. The announcement follows consultation among the funding partners, legal counsel for claimants and representatives for some of the 98 children.
In offering the compensation, the three funding partners are hopeful they will reach a settlement with the 13 litigants involved in an ongoing civil action related to the loss of their mothers.
Chief Jim Chu said, “We are pleased that Vancouver City Council offered to contribute to this fund. And I’d like to also thank the federal and provincial governments for their contributions. I will always regret that police didn’t catch this killer sooner. I regret every life that was lost and those murders we failed to prevent. Once again I would like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere apologies and condolences to the families of his (Robert’s) victims.”

Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder, DNA or remains of 33 women were found on his farm. He is serving a life sentence with no parole for at least 25 years.