One Of The Worst Atrocities In Canadian History

[Shen Li]

One of the worst atrocities in Canadian history is not well known or taught and is rarely discussed.

For 80 years, between 1869 and 1948, 100,000 children were brought into Canada from the British Isles. Many of these children were taken away from their parents against their parents' will, put into large institutions or work houses in Britain and then sold and shipped to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

They were part of an immigration scheme under the promoted illusion that they were all orphans going to a better life.

Prejudice at the time by the governments of both Britain and Canada perpetrated the myth that the children were dirty, diseased and little more than garbage.

Several agencies, including Barnardo's and Maria Rye, were selling the children as indentured labourers to farmers and households across Canada. Bernardo's alone brought in 35,000 children, mostly to Ontario.

Many children died and were buried in unmarked graves. Many others committed suicide. If a child ran away from a farm, the police would catch them and send them back.

Households in Canada paid $3 per child. It was a big money-making scheme. It was human trafficking.

Money went to agencies and governments. Then the trafficked children were forced to pay for their passage to Canada when they reached adulthood. Many weren't paid for their work but if they were, it was one cent a day.

Despite all the hardship, a good many of the children grew up and were accomplished. More than 25,000 Home Children fought in the First and Second World Wars. Some survivors were decorated soldiers.

Descendants of Home Children include Ontario Premier Doug Ford and hockey media legend Don Cherry. Both their grandfathers were Home Children.

There is an estimated four million Canadian descendants of Home Children living in Canada. Many people don't know that they are among them.

Britain and Australia have issued apologies, but Canada has not.

There are only two surviving Home Children in Canada, one is 109 years old and living in Vancouver and the other is 101 and living in Ontario.

[DKG]

One of the worst atrocities in Canadian history is not well known or taught and is rarely discussed.

For 80 years, between 1869 and 1948, 100,000 children were brought into Canada from the British Isles. Many of these children were taken away from their parents against their parents' will, put into large institutions or work houses in Britain and then sold and shipped to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

They were part of an immigration scheme under the promoted illusion that they were all orphans going to a better life.

Prejudice at the time by the governments of both Britain and Canada perpetrated the myth that the children were dirty, diseased and little more than garbage.

Several agencies, including Barnardo's and Maria Rye, were selling the children as indentured labourers to farmers and households across Canada. Bernardo's alone brought in 35,000 children, mostly to Ontario.

Many children died and were buried in unmarked graves. Many others committed suicide. If a child ran away from a farm, the police would catch them and send them back.

Households in Canada paid $3 per child. It was a big money-making scheme. It was human trafficking.

Money went to agencies and governments. Then the trafficked children were forced to pay for their passage to Canada when they reached adulthood. Many weren't paid for their work but if they were, it was one cent a day.

Despite all the hardship, a good many of the children grew up and were accomplished. More than 25,000 Home Children fought in the First and Second World Wars. Some survivors were decorated soldiers.

Descendants of Home Children include Ontario Premier Doug Ford and hockey media legend Don Cherry. Both their grandfathers were Home Children.

There is an estimated four million Canadian descendants of Home Children living in Canada. Many people don't know that they are among them.

Britain and Australia have issued apologies, but Canada has not.

There are only two surviving Home Children in Canada, one is 109 years old and living in Vancouver and the other is 101 and living in Ontario.

Interesting. Very sad too.