Dear Premier John Horgan
As you are well aware during the 1950s, right here in British Columbia, we had an episode that was cruel and shameful where Doukhobor children were taken from their parents and sent to a prison-like environment (residential school) in the village of New Denver.
This all took place under the orders of the then-government of British Columbia to punish the parents of these children for not allowing them to attend public schools, even though the parents offered to have them “home-schooled.”
These children varied in age from six to 15. This was traumatic to say the least, and many of these children, now are grandparents and some have passed away.
These children were allowed to see their parent every two weeks for a few hours only through a wire mesh fence. If any child made any kind of infraction in between these visits while in custody, they were punished by being isolated and kept away from their parents during visits.
Previous forms of government in this province recognized the damages done to our indigenous people who were also torn away from their parents and sent off to schools. Your administration recognized the injustices done to the indigenous people, who received apologies and monetary assistance.
Japanese people in B.C. during the Second World War were stripped of their properties and businesses and herded off to camps throughout the province. They were later apologized to and given monetary help as well.
Why then has your administration not recognized the injustice to these Doukhobor victims?
I am asking you why, to this day, has not any type of apology or monetary bandage been given to these victims of cruel and outrageous punishment?
The time is way overdue to do the right thing.
Mickey Nazarov and Laura Powell (nee Konkin),
Castlegar