*2010* ~ Year of the British Home Child in Canada


24
Feb
2008
2009 The Year of the British Home Child PDF Print E-mail

PLEASE PLEASE COPY OR SEND AN EMAIL TO YOUR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES. 

THIS COULD ALSO BE SENT TO YOUR CITY OFFICIALS - GEN SOCIETIES - MUSEUMS - ANYONE WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN OUR HISTORY

- addresses at http://www.canada.gc.ca/home.html

Draft Letter with thanks to Cecil & Marilyn Verge

(Your full address)

To ( MLA, MP, Mayor, etc )

As a "British Home Child" descendant , I want to bring awareness to a
group of 100,000 children who helped to shape this country.

The majority of these children did not make their own decision to come
to Canada. They were poor, often orphaned, illegitimate, in a workhouse
or another institution. But without their presence in this country there would
not be approximately 12% of the Canadian population living here today.
That's not counting descendants around the world!

We are proud to be British Home Children descendants.

From 1869 to 1948, institutions in England and Scotland such as
Middlemore Home, Barnardo's, Maria Rye's, Quarrier's and others sent
children as young as a few months to their early twenties to Canada.
Industrial cities were overcrowded and Canada needed workers so
an agreement was struck between these organizations and the British and
Canadian GOVERNMENTS to settle these children in Canada (and later
Australia). The children were to work as farmhands or domestics. Some
were lucky enough to be adopted.

A prospective "employer" made an application for a child. They usually
specified the sex and age required. The child was to work for their
room, board and clothing until the age of sixteen when they would be
given a wage. There were to be yearly inspections by a representative of
the sending agency and reports filed. Sometimes this worked, more often
it didn't. Many children were not fed or clothed properly, they were beaten,
forced to live in a barn, cellar or even with the family's dog. Some died
from the abuse. The ones who survived were often emotionally scarred.
In later years, not many would talk about their experiences, not even telling
the truth about where they were from or how they came to Canada.
Some didn't even know who they were because their names were changed
and they were so young when it happened they didn't remember their birth
name or who their natural parents were. Yet most overcame these adversities
to marry, raise children and become productive citizens who contributed
much to Canada.

Many young men enlisted in the armed forces and fought in WW1, some
repeated this unselfish act by signing up during WW2.

The immigration scheme was well intentioned and credit must be given to
those who tried to save these children for surely a large number of them
might have died living in squalor as they did. But now the BRITISH and
CANADIAN GOVERNMENTS seem to want to sweep it all under the rug.

Records re not always readily available and when they are, they can cost 60 OR
upwards in sterling. We the second, third and forth generations are discovering our
ancestors' stories and we want to have them acknowledged. These children
were real heroes even though they were not aware of it and they deserve
to be recognized and rewarded for that heroism.

Is it too much to ask of their GOVERNMENT to remember them by striking a
coin, imprinting a stamp and/or declaring 2009 the "YEAR OF THE BRITISH HOME
CHILD"? I think not !! Now is the time to speak out and make it happen.

In 2009 it will be 140 years since the start of the immigration scheme.
Let them finally rest in peace.

LET'S HONOUR THEM ! We the descendants would not be here living
and working in Canada and other places around the world if it weren't for them!

                   WE MUST ALL GET INVOLVED



 
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