One of the biggest stories in the West Kootenay during 2024 was the long-awaited provincial apology to the Sons of Freedom Doukhobors for the forced confinement of children in the 1950s.
The apology story had several ups and downs and missteps which after a 70-year wait frustrated and disappointed many in the Sons of Freedom community.
The Sons of Freedom were a small group within the Doukhobor community and were once known for naked protests and periodically burning down their own homes as a rejection of materialism.
Between 1953 and 1959, about 200 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.
The children were only allowed to see their parents every two weeks and those visits were made through chain link fencing.
Announcement/Cancellation
The recent revival of stories surrounding the New Denver School survivors began in 2023 after the B.C. Ombudsman revived calls for an official apology from the Province of B.C.
Members of the Doukhobor community received invitations on Nov. 27, 2023 to watch an apology related to the mistreatment of Doukhobors via live-stream. The apology was set to take place in the Nov. 28 legislature session at 10 a.m. Word spread quickly and Doukhobors across the globe made plans to watch the apology. Just as the session began, news came that the apology was not going to happen that day after all. Premier David Eby later apologized for not properly planning the event.
Castlegar and Grand Forks apologies
In early February 2024, British Columbia’s attorney general Niki Sharma visited Castlegar and Grand Forks and formally apologized to members of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor Community, including those who were forcibly taken from their parents.
Sharma acknowledged the children were “mistreated both physically and psychologically.”
She also said the government levied fines against the group and seized communal property over infractions that included school absenteeism.
Sharma’s apology came with a promise of $10 million for community programs and education aimed at providing “lasting recognition of historical wrongs” committed against the Sons of Freedom Doukhobors and their families.
The compensation package included $5 million to create a Sons of Freedom Doukhobor Legacy Fund to preserve and promote the community’s cultural heritage and to support educational initiatives, cultural programs and the maintenance of cultural sites. Another $1.25 million was dedicated to research and archival services and $3.75 million was designated for a health and wellness fund.
Apology reaction
West Kootenay Sons of Freedom Doukhobors and their descendants immediately expressed skepticism, disappointment and confusion over the compensation package.
Their main complaint was the lack of clarity surrounding the compensation and the absence of any individual payments to survivors.
The also complained about a lack of direct consultation.
Premier's apology
On Feb. 27, Premier David Eby issued the official formal apology once again, this time in the Provincial Legislative Assembly. About 100 survivors and family members travelled from Castlegar, Grand Forks and as far away as Whitehorse and Toronto to attend the apology.
“The Province of British Columbia recognizes the hurt and trauma experienced by the Sons of Freedom and the broader Doukhobor community. Today, on behalf of the Province of British Columbia, we acknowledge and apologize for these past injustices," said Eby.
At a reception following the legislative session, the issue of the compensation package was again brought to the surface.
In front of those attending with television cameras rolling, Lorraine Saliken-Walton, a descendent of those interned at New Denver, asked Eby to reconsider the compensation package plans.
“Mr. Premier, we are grateful that you have taken the time to make this apology and have committed $10 million towards righting this historic wrong,” said Saliken-Walton. “But we would like a say in how that money is allocated."
Saliken-Walton said they would like to see the same type of personal compensation that other groups such as the Japanese, Metis and First Nations have received along with their formal apologies.
Ombudsperson reaction
In a Feb. 27 statement, B.C. Ombudsperson Jay Chalke said, “The Doukhobor community deserves a meaningful commitment from government to right this long-standing wrong and trauma that continues to this day."
He said he remained frustrated that the individual compensation his office had been recommending for more than 20 years, had not been clearly promised.
Chalke went on to call on Eby to give priority to individual compensation.
Individual compensation
In a major change of policy, the Province of B.C. began to issue direct financial payments to the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor residential school survivors in late summer/early fall.
While the government did not chang its mind about the majority of the funds, the $3.75 million health and well-being fund is now being “shared among survivors and the descendants of those who have passed away,” according to an emailed response to Castlegar News from the Attorney General’s office (AGO) in September.
“After extensive consultations with several members of the community, we decided to speed up the process by directly distributing the health and well-being fund,” said the statement.
“Based on feedback we received, we are distributing these funds to survivors and descendants, as soon as feasible, to use in whatever way supports their health and wellness needs. Each recipient will decide for themselves what their health and well-being needs are, for example: medical and wellness devices or culturally sensitive counselling focused on inter-generational trauma.”
The statement from the AGO said the decision about the division of funds was based on “what was done in similar cases and expert consultation.” But, “given the sensitivity of this issue, it is not government’s place to disclose the amount each person receives.”
Splitting the $3.75 million among the approximately 200 incarcerated children would leave an average amount of about $18,000 per survivor, but it is likely that the calculations are more complicated than that.
The payments ranged from about $10,000 to $18,000 per survivor, according to reports from survivors and their families.
The province partnered with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) to distribute the payments to “identified survivors and descendants.”
While many of the payments to living survivors were distributed in August and September, the AGO said payments to descendants of deceased survivors would be a "long and complex process" that would take a while to complete.
Ombudsperson criticism – again
At the end of September, B.C. Ombudsperson Jay Chalke issued a statement of concern regarding the way the provincial government was handling the compensation payments.
“I am encouraged that government is compensating these elderly British Columbians for what happened to them as children, as we recommended 25 years ago,” said Chalke. “While I am glad to see the funds being distributed, I am concerned with how poorly the government has communicated with New Denver survivors, their families and descendants in developing the compensation program.
“Government has been vague about who is eligible for compensation, the applicable criteria and the application process and deadlines – for no good reason.”
Chalke said the lack of a clear plan had resulted in “inconsistent and unclear communication with survivors and descendants.”
He added that survivors and descendants turned to his office because they have been unable to obtain answers from government.
“I am disappointed that government has made decisions without adequately consulting with the community and has not shared information about its decisions in a clear and accessible way.”
Chalke also said he was disappointed that the government has not shifted more of the funds towards personal compensation.
“We also expected that in its work to ‘make this right,’ government would reconsider the allocation of funding within the $10 million ‘recognition package’ to ensure adequate compensation for survivors and descendants."
Nearly two-thirds of the $10 million is earmarked for purposes other than individual compensation.
Chalke said the Office of the Ombudsperson will be closely monitoring the government’s next steps.
By the end of September, the B.C. government had entered an election period, and no further public communications on the apology and compensation file have been issued as of the end of 2024.
In addition to news coverage surrounding the apology, Castlegar News Editor Betsy Kline wrote a series of articles documenting accounts of the trauma experienced by the children who were incarcerated at New Denver. The complete Behind the Fence series can be found online at castlegarnews.com.
