Affidavit: Tracey Dorrington-Skinner

Form 39.
08
2011
BETWEEN:
Hfx. No. 343536
SUPREME COURT OF NOVA SCOTIA
AUBREY PELLEY and DEANNA SMITH FEB l 7 2012
-AND-
THE NOVA SCOTIA HOME FOR COLORED CHILDREN, a body
corporate and THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NOVA SCOTIA,
representing Her Majesty the Queen in right of the Province of Nova
Scotia
D E F E N D A N T ~
Proceeding under the Ciass Proceedings Act, S.N.S 2007, c. 28
Affidavit of Tracey Darrington-Skinner
I, Tracey Darrington-Skinner, of the city of Truro in the Province of Nova Scotia
MAKE OATH AND SAY THAT:
1. I have knowledge deposed to below. Where my knowledge is based on
information obtained from others, I have so stated below, and I believe that information
to be true.
2. I am providing this affidavit in support of the Plaintiffs' motion to have the within
proposed class proceeding certified as a class proceeding.
3. I was born in Nova Scotia on January 16, 1965. I have two older brothers and
two younger sisters.
4. My early years were spent living in our house on Ford Street in Truro with my
mother, grandmother, aunt, and brothers and sisters. My father was not often around.
5. In approximately April of 1971, my mother and father separated. My mother and
siblings moved in with my grandmother. Sometime afterwards, my mother left and my
grandmother became ill. It is my understanding that my grandmother called social
services and made arrangements for our care while she was in the hospital receiving
medical care. My siblings and I were subsequently sent to live at the to Nova Scotia
Home for Colored Children.
6. It was August 3 of 1972 when I went to the Nova Scotia Home for Colored
Children. I was 7 years old at the time.
7. I spent the 12 years of my life at the Home. I recall numerous instances of abuse
against residences, including myself, at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children.
8. I recall Staff members, Ms. Ross and Ms. Bundy and others whose names I
cannot recall, being verbally and emotionally abusive towards myself and other
residents. Staff members would regularly call us "stupid", "useless", and would tell us
that we would "amount to nothing". Staff members would often tell the girls that "no
man would want us".
9. The boys would often gel in lo large fights with each other and would chase each
other with knives.
10. I recali some of the boys being subjected to sever physical abuse by staff
members. Some of the boys would play with toy race cars on toy race car tracks. Staff
members would use parts of the race car tracks to beat the boys. I recall hearing the
boys being beaten and hearing them crying in pain from the beatings.
11. We were given allowances while residents of the Home. Staff members would
withhold these allowances, and treats like dessert, in exchange for our cooperation in
certain things. Sometimes our allowances would be deducted as well. For instance, we
would be deducted an amount form our allowance if we did not perform a chore properly
or at all.
12. Staff members, Georgie Williams and Herbie Desmond, would make sexual
comments towards me and other female residents. They would say "Oh, I'd like to tap
that", or, "Don't you look some good for her age? Look at the body on you" or "you
have some strong legs. I could feel those legs around my back".
13. Georgie Williams was also the Home's main driver. It was common knowledge
amongst the female residents that if Georgie was driving the van and you needed a
ride, you would be forced to perform a sexual favour in exchange for transportation. On
occasion Georgie would try to coerce me to perform sexual favours in exchange for a
ride.
14. We were rarely permitted to close our bedroom doors at the Home. They had to
stay open all night. This rule was enforced by male staff "on duty" during the evenings.
15. Georgie Williams was "on duty" at least two to three nights per week. Every such
night he would make his rounds. When I was between the ages of 12 and 14, Georgie
would come into my room and fondle me under my blankets. This occurred frequently
over the course of several years.
16. Staff members would routinely administer the birth control pills to the girls.
Georgie Williams would administer medication to the girls. Georgie would call me down
to the staff room and would give me birth control pills to take. On several occasions,
Georgie would call me into the staff room and would force me to touch his penis. On
one occasion, he made me perform fellatio.
17. As I got older and became more involved in community work, Georgie would
drive me to and from places. Georgie use to drive me to a place called Crane Hill on
the way back to the Home. He would fondle, kiss, and rape me in the car at Crane Hill.
18. Staff member, Herbie Desmond, also used to sneak into my bedroom at night
and grope me under the covers.
19. On one occasion when I was driving to Halifax with Herbie Desmond to pick up
one of the male residents from a basketball game, Herbie Desmond stopped at an
apartment and said he had to pick something up and told me to come into the
apartment. Herbie Desmond forced me against a wall in the apartment. He slammed
me against the wall and grabbed my breasts and rubbed himself against me. He forced
me to perform oral sex on him and he raped me.
20. On occasion, Herbie Desmond would enter my room at night and wake me up
and direct me to get up out of bed and come into the house parents' room where he
would rape me.
21. While at the Home, I recall receiving a visit from a child welfare worker about
once a year before the age of 14. After I tLJrned 14, I do not recall ever receiving a visit
from a child welfare worker.
SWORN TO at Halifax in the
Province Scotia, this
IS zd day of

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MICHAEl DUll
A ll&rrfster of the Supramo
Court of Nova Scotia
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N-SKINNER

Affidavit: Tracey Dorrington-Skinner

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