BC’s Response to Doukhobor Children’s Detention Is ‘Deeply Disappointing’

British Columbia Ombudsperson Jay Chalke welcomed the provincial government’s promise this fall to apologize for removing Doukhobor children from their families 70 years ago and confining them.

But the government’s plan for “a formal recognition package,” rather than providing fair compensation, is “deeply disappointing,” Chalke said.

A report from Chalke’s office Tuesday had a July 14 letter from Attorney General Niki Sharma appended to it.

“The government of the day’s forcible removal and confinement of children whose parents were members of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor community in the West Kootenays continues to have long-lasting, traumatic impacts on survivors and their families today,” Sharma’s letter said.

“As a government and a society, it’s important that we continue to shine a light on injustices like this — which are rarely mentioned in history books — so they are never forgotten or repeated,” she said. “Government is prepared to issue an apology this fall and we are preparing a formal recognition package.”

Chalke’s report, "Time to Right the Wrong: Monitoring government’s implementation of recommendations related to the confinement of Doukhobor children," follows up on recommendations his office made 24 years ago.

In the report he calls the government’s commitment to apologize a “momentous step” and in a news conference he observed that many of the people who were affected have already died and won’t hear the apology, but said that still “I’m very pleased that the time has come.”

Between 1953 and 1959 the province apprehended more than 200 children and confined them at a former tuberculosis sanatorium in New Denver. They were apprehended either because their parents were in jail or they refused to send them to school.

“They were taken from their parents who identified as Sons of Freedom Doukhobors and who opposed government policies and regulations,” Chalke said.

In 1999 the ombudsperson’s office investigated and found what had happened to those children, who by then were adults, was “unjust and oppressive” and called on the government to apologize and compensate them.

“That report, 24 years ago, outlined vivid details and first-hand accounts of physical and emotional maltreatment including the fact that the children were forced to build the chain link fence through which they were permitted only limited visits with their parents,” Chalke said in his progress report.

The report quotes survivors, including some describing physical, mental and sexual abuse.

“For anything, I would get straps,” one said describing treatment from someone in a supervisory role. “I’d like to sue her, she wrecked my life... I guess like, like, abusing kids. She got a kick out of it.”

“So my parents spent from two to 2½ years in jail,” another said. “But even when my parents were released, I was still kept there.”

“It was very regimental,” said a third. “That’s why it was more like a prison, with the fence around, and all those rules.... Even in the summertime, it was still very regimental.... Just — no flexibility — rules were rules and they had to be obeyed.”

Despite the “disturbing details” brought to light, the government failed to act on the recommendations and apologize to, and compensate, those involved, Chalke said.

In 2004 the then BC Liberal government made a “statement of regret” in the legislature that “stopped short of apologizing, apparently fearing the risk of incurring legal liability.”

The government failed to take other opportunities that arose over the years to apologize, even after the courts had determined it could not be held legally liable, Chalke said.

Nor has the government paid fair compensation to the people affected and the new commitment to instead provide a “recognition package” is deeply disappointing, he said. “The elderly survivors of unjustified government detention so many years ago deserve honesty and a clear message of what will come next for them.”

A spokesperson for Sharma said the government would make no further comment at this point, but will have more to say about the recognition package as it moves forward.*

Chalke said he met with some of the survivors, people who are now in their 70s and 80s, last year and earlier this year.

“This is not the time for obfuscation,” his report said. “It is time for government to clearly commit to do the honourable thing by providing compensation that is long overdue to these individuals, their families, and their community.”

He said he will monitor the government’s development and implementation of the recognition package and “commit to doing all I can to see justice done.”

* Story updated on July 19 at 12:01 p.m. to include a spokesperson response received after press time.