Between 1869 and 1939, Great Britain shipped 100,000 children to Canada, primarily from industrial centres such as London and Liverpool. They came as farm labourers and mothers' helpers. Today, Home Children Canada organizes regular reunions to bring Home Children, their families, and descendants together to share their stories. Prince Edward Island will host the first PEI Home Children Canada (HCC) reunion, with the support of the PEI Public Archives and Records Office, on Tuesday, August 22, 2000.
Child migration, a reaction to perceived overpopulation of the day, was seen as the cheapest way of "saving" children while lessening a costly social, economic, political and moral problem. Moreover, the prevailing philosophy of the day held that hard work and open spaces, an abundance of which was available in Canada, made for good citizens.
Most children exported to Canada were sent to serve as cheap labour and ranged in age from seven to 14. Traditionally, and until very recently, Home Children did not talk about their pasts, because of the stigma most felt was attached to them. It has been estimated that Home Children and their descendants make up 11.5 per cent of Canada's population.
PEI was one of the few provinces not to have it's own distribution centre for Home Children and due to this it is very difficult to accurately account for Home Children arriving in PEI. There were however, several arrivals in PEI, one of which, on June 20, 1894, included 36 children.
Home Children Canada, founded by Dave and Kay Lorente, aims to help Home Children and their descendants discover their past; tell the story of Home Children; erase the stigma attached to the "little" immigrants and replace that stigma with justifiable pride.
The goals of Home Children Canada include: to bring together Home Children, their families, descendants, people with whom they once lived and friends; to offer free assistance to those wishing to trace specific case histories; to reveal an important but forgotten, overlooked, or suppressed chapter in our history; to enkindle old and new friendships in a unique gathering of people who share a very special bond; and to rejoice in what Home Children have contributed to Canada.
It is an honour to host the first Home Children Canada reunion held in Prince Edward Island," says Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs. Their story is too often hidden, and the strength of these individuals and their families to speak out and share their stories with all Canadians is to be commended."
The reunion will feature a presentation on the history of child migration and its effect on the children by Dave and Kay Lorente in the Pope Room of the Honourable George Coles Building on August 22, 2000 at 8 pm. Everyone is welcome. A special invitation is extended to all Home Children and their descendants to come and share their stories. Dave and Kay will also be available on August 23 from 9 am to 12 noon to provide direction and assistance with individual searches.
For more information contact: Marilyn Bell, PEI Public Archives and Records Office, 368-4351.