British Columbia’s attorney general says the province has begun to receive the initial payment from its multi-billion-dollar share of the settlement in a pan-Canadian lawsuit against big tobacco companies over health damages.

A statement from Niki Sharma says the province has begun receiving the $936-million-dollar payment, part of B.C.’s share of more than $3.6 billion over 18 years.

It’s part of a $32.5-billion Canadian settlement between JTI-Macdonald Corp., Rothmans, Benson & Hedges and Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. and their creditors after more than five years of negotiations.

Sharma says no amount of money will bring back those who have died from tobacco-related illnesses or make up for “lives ruined by addiction.”

But she says the payment is a welcome step in the province’s mission to see justice delivered for B.C. residents.

The attorney general says the settlement sends a message that the B.C. government “will not stand idly by while multinational companies engage in deceptive practices that cause widespread harm at significant cost to people.”

Sharma has previously said the money B.C. receives will go directly toward strengthening the health-care system and helping offset government spending on care for people who suffer smoking-related illnesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2025.