Canada Opts For A Different Way Of Appeasing British Home Children

November 17, 2009 5:48 p.m. EST

Ottawa, Ontario (AHN) - Even if Australia has issued as apology for its mistreatment of British home children, Canada has a different approach to the issue. In lieu of asking for forgiveness for abusing and exploiting thousands of British children sent to Canada and Australia in the 19th century, Ottawa will instead declare 2010 as the year of the home children.

According to Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, as part of the country's atonement, it will launch a commemorative stamp and several federal museums will hold exhibits to recall the tragedy.

The program started in 1869. About 150,000 orphaned or abandoned youth from Britain were sent to Canada and other former British colonies with a promise of improved lives. Although the program officially ended in 1939, the sending of the children went on until 1948, with over 100,000 sent to Canada.

Kenney's response disappointed Home Children Canada. HCH spokesman Sidney Baker explained the 100,000 home children have about four million descendants now living in Canada who deserve an official apology for the sufferings their parents went through.

Among the other countries where the British home children - mostly picked from London's streets - were sent included Rhodesia, Jamaica and the U.S. About 10,000 records were falsified on purpose to be able to ship the children outside Britain. There also lies involved. Children were told their parents were dead, while the parents were informed their children were adopted in good British families.