2010 Year of the British Home Child
2010 has been designated as Year of the British Home Child in Canada. It commemorates the child emigration scheme that brought over 100,000 children from Britain to Canada from 1826 to 1939. The plan was sold to Canadians as a way to support children who were orphaned and living in poverty. A great many of these children came to Canada and served as farm labourers and domestic servants and endured lives of abuse from the people who acquired them. immigrantchildren.ca has been vocal about the importance of Canada’s acknowledgment of the wrongs committed against these children and has called for a formal apology from the Federal government. In November, the British government apologized to the home children.
immigrantchildren.ca will maintain this page on the home children and link related items over 2010. Please send any information, news, resources or events you come across that you’d like to see included to zs dot worotynec at utoronto dot ca or leave a reply/comment.
News
Dec 7/09 ~ MP Phil McColeman’s December 7th Private Members bill receives unanimous consent to designate 2010 as The Year of the British Home Child across Canada.
Dec 20/09 ~ Vaughntoday.ca Keep children in mind this holiday
Dec 21/09 ~ Peterborough Examiner: Peterborough’s home children go beyond Barnardo’s
Dec 26/09 ~ Toronto Star: Dear Charlie, we’re sorry: What, if anything, does Canada owe ‘home children’?
Jan 3/10 ~ The Nova Scotian: Canada’s children of the empire
Jan 15/10 ~ The National Post: Sorry isn’t always the right word
Jan 27/10 ~ Canadian Cattleman: Canada marks “Year of the British Home Child”
Feb 20/10 ~ The Globe and Mail: A burden to Britain, ‘trash’ in Canada: A stain on Colonial ties
Feb 24/10 ~ CBC: Home children to get formal apology from British PM
Feb 24/10 ~ Number10.gov.UK: From the official site of the Prime Minister’s Office “Statement on child migrants”.
Resources
Library and Archives Canada Home Children (1869-1930)
Young Immigrants to Canada: Emigration as a Solution (University of Waterloo)
British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa
December 31st, 2009 at 5:44 am
[...] will maintain a page on the home children and link related items, information, news and events related to the home [...]