British Columbia含羞草研究社檚 attorney general has formally apologized to members of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor Community, including those who were forcibly taken from their parents more than 70 years ago.
In the 1950s, hundreds of children of Sons of Freedom members were taken from their families and placed into care in provincial institutions including a former tuberculosis sanatorium in New Denver in part because their parents opposed government rules and refused to send them to public schools.
About 275 people gathered at an event held at the Castlegar and District Community Centre Thursday to hear Niki Sharma含羞草研究社檚 apology.
Between the speeches given by politicians and the attorney general, the room was filled with traditional Doukhobor singing. Survivors were also given an opportunity to share their stories.
Sharma acknowledged the children were 含羞草研究社渕istreated both physically and psychologically.含羞草研究社�
She also said the government levied fines against the group and seized communal property over infractions that included school absenteeism.
Between 1931 and 1959, hundreds of Sons of Freedom members were convicted and handed sentences of up to three years.
含羞草研究社淭his is not a proud history. The Province of British Columbia recognizes the stigma and trauma experienced by the Sons of Freedom and the broader Doukhobor community,含羞草研究社� Sharma read from a statement delivered at the event and included in a press release distributed by her office.
含羞草研究社淎nd so today, on behalf of the Province of British Columbia, we acknowledge and apologize for the past injustices that were committed by the Province of British Columbia.含羞草研究社�
Sharma含羞草研究社檚 apology came with a promise of $10 million for community programs and education aimed at providing 含羞草研究社渓asting recognition of historical wrongs含羞草研究社� committed against the Sons of Freedom Doukhobors and their families.
Sharma said the 含羞草研究社渃ompensation package含羞草研究社� includes $3.75 million for a health and wellness fund for the Sons of Freedom Doukhobours for individual survivors and descendants; $5 million to preserve and promote the community含羞草研究社檚 cultural heritage and historic sites and support educational and cultural programs and $1.2 million to conduct research and archive documents and oral histories.
Sharma said that a system for allowing the community to access the funding will be set up this spring.
含羞草研究社淭his apology and these initiatives are predicated on the hope that those impacted by these injustices are able to access the support they need to heal, and to ensure that such violations of human rights are prevented from happening ever again in this province,含羞草研究社� reads the statement delivered by Sharma.
Last year, B.C.含羞草研究社檚 ombudsman Jay Chalke called for the province to provide financial compensation 含羞草研究社渇or individuals and the group,含羞草研究社� as well as make an apology.
The Sons of Freedom were a small group within the Doukhobor community, an exiled Russian Christian group, and were once known for naked protests and periodically burning down their own homes as a rejection of materialism.
In a separate statement, Premier David Eby said Thursday the province forcibly removed children, leaving parents to visit them through chain link fences.
含羞草研究社淐ourts would not let this happen today, and it should not have happened then,含羞草研究社� Eby said.
含羞草研究社淭here is no more sacred a relationship than parent and child, and that relationship was broken for a whole community, resulting in harms that have echoed for generations. Today, we acknowledge the pain experienced by Sons of Freedom Doukhobor children and families.含羞草研究社�
Sharma is scheduled to attend a community event in Grand Forks, B.C., on Friday and Eby will also deliver the apology in the legislature on Feb. 27.
With files from The Canadian Press
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