After much lobbying by former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe and politicians from other parties, the House of Commons issued an apology to the British Home Children on February 16.
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty and separation.
Mr. Luc Thériault (Montcalm,… BQ): “Mr. Speaker, I ask for the consent of the House to adopt the following motion, with the support of the MP from Humber River–Black Creek [Judy Sgro], the MP from Chilliwack–Hope [Mark Strahl], the MP for Vancouver East [Jenny Kwan] and the MP from Saanich–Gulf Islands [Elizabeth May]:
“That the House recognize the injustice, abuse and suffering endured by the British Home Children as well as the efforts, participation and contribution of these children and their descendants within our communities; and offer its sincere apology to the former British Home Children who are still living and to the descendants of these 100,000 individuals who were shipped from Great Britain to Canada between 1869 and 1948, and torn from their families to serve mainly as cheap labour once they arrived in Canada.”
Unanimous consent was given by the House, and the Motion was passed.
— Hansard, House of Commons, Parliament of Canada
British immigrant children from Dr. Barnardo’s Homes at landing stage, Saint John, New Brunswick. Source: Library and Archives Canada.
From “bloke to Bloc”
To some Canadians, it may seem particularly odd that Mr. Duceppe led the lobbying effort to apologize to British Home Children, but he has a direct connection. His maternal grandfather came to Canada from England as an orphan in 1906.
In an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Mr. Duceppe said, “I’ve gone from bloke to Bloc.”
The Gazette reported, “Duceppe’s maternal grandfather, John James Rowley, hailed from the other side of the pond. He was one of an estimated 100,000 orphaned, abandoned and/or poor children who were dispatched to Canada from the British Isles between the mid-19th and mid-20th century, ostensibly to help alleviate a labour shortage here. Known as the British Home Children, many of these new arrivals were treated terribly, and were often exploited.”
Duceppe is also intent on preserving the culture relating to the history of the British Home Children. Currently playing at Théâtre Jean-Duceppe — the Place des Arts venue named for his dad and of which Gilles is the president of the executive committee — is Ne m’oublie pas (Don’t forget me), a drama on the ordeal of a British Home Child who ended up in Australia.
You can read more about this story in the Gazette article, Former Bloc leader Duceppe rallies for rights of British Home Children.
Thank you for posting this! It was a great moment! Without the strong personal connection that Mr. Duceppe had to his BHC grsndfather -and his political ties – the Apology never would have happened. We applaud his effort. It was an honour to be asked by Mr. Duceppe to be spokesperson at the media scrum at Parliament Hill after the Motion was adopted.
It was something our group, The British Home Child Group International, alongside others, has strived for, for years.
We will continue to do presentations to educate the public, help with free genealogical research and help reconnect families that were torn apart by this child migrant scheme. Contact us through our website: http://www.britishhomechild.com or our Families of British Home Children Facebook page.