A group of happy British home children descendants and friends joined Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MP Guy Lauzon (front centre) for a group photo after Parliament passed Motion No. 133 in Ottawa, Ontario. Photo courtesy Jennifer DeBruin.
A group of dedicated descendants of British Home Children witnessed Wednesday Canada’s members of Parliament vote unanimously to pass the private member motion to declare September 28 of every year, British Home Child Day.
More than 100,000 British home children, from infancy to 18 years of age, were sent to Canada from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales between 1869 and 1948 as home children. Most of these children were needed as farm labourers and domestic workers in homes across Canada. A large majority of these children were from orphanages and institutions, while others were children from streets.
The initiative for the motion was led by Guy Lauzon, member of Parliament for the Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry riding in Eastern Ontario, and Judy Neville of the Ontario East British Home Child Family Group.
In his statement to Parliament before the vote on his motion took place, Mr. Lauzon said, “Until recent years, very few Canadians knew about the British home children. Their stories of hardship, courage, determination, and perseverance are not part of Canadian history books. This needs to change.”
Text of the motion
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should recognize the contributions made by the over 100,000 British Home Children to Canadian society, their service to our armed forces throughout the twentieth century, the hardships and stigmas that many of them endured, and the importance of educating and reflecting upon the story of the British Home Children for future generations by declaring September 28 of every year, British Home Child Day in Canada.
Jennifer DeBruin, who watched the vote with her teenage daughter, said, “To hear the applause of the government and see the emotions of the descendants was a memory we will cherish.”
