It has now been one year since B.C. Premier David Eby stood up in the B.C. legislature on Feb. 27, 2024, and formally apologized to the Sons of Freedom Doukhobour community for the forced removal of children in the 1950s.

The apology was a long time coming, and it seems that the compensation promised along with the apology is taking even longer to accomplish.

From 1953 to 1959, approximately 200 children were removed from their homes and placed into forced-education facilities 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 Office of the B.C. Ombudsperson has been monitoring the situation since it first called for an apology in 1999. The 2023 report Time to Right the Wrong revealed that the government had still not fully implemented the 1999 recommendations.

That report began a series of actions that eventually led to an apology.

On Feb. 27, 2025, B.C. ombudsperson Jay Chalke issued another report, this time urging the government to move more quickly on its compensation commitments.

The government has issued payments to a number of survivors who were detained in New Denver as school-aged children, but it has been slow to finalize a decision on who else will be eligible for compensation.

The original apology included a $10 million compensation package that did not include any direct personal compensation. The money was designated for a $3.75 million health and wellness fund, a $5 million Sons of Freedom Doukhobor legacy fund and $1.25 million for research and archival services.

While most survivors appreciated the apology, the compensation plan was met with disapproval and calls for individual compensation.

The ombudsperson weighed in at that time stating, 鈥淭he Doukhobor community deserves a meaningful commitment from government to right this long-standing wrong and trauma that continues to this day.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I remain frustrated that the individual compensation our office has been recommending for more than 20 years, has still not been clearly promised.鈥�

Around the end of August 2024, the government changed its plans and reallocated the health and wellness fund to be shared among survivors and the descendants of those who had passed away.

Many of the living survivors who were school-aged at the time of their removal began receiving notifications in the fall of 2024 that they would receive payments of $18,000.

But there has been confusion ever since as to who else is eligible for compensation and when the payments will arrive. 

In his latest statement, Chalke lists a number of concerns including:

鈥� A lack of transparency: The government has not provided clear updates on eligibility or payment schedules.
鈥� Uncertainty for estates: It remains unclear whether estates of deceased survivors will receive financial recognition.
鈥� Uncertainty for children of those detained: Children of those detained have reported that they suffered their own harm due to the impact of the detention on their parents. This inter-generational trauma has not yet been recognized.
鈥� Delayed government responses: The Ombudsperson鈥檚 Office has repeatedly sought updates, but government responses have been slow, making it difficult to track progress.
鈥� Partial implementation of commitments: The government has yet to fully implement the compensation measures it promised in response to Ombudsperson recommendations.

鈥淲e welcome that the government has begun compensating some survivors,鈥� Chalke said. 鈥淏ut the promise made one year ago was broader. The province committed to ensuring that all affected individuals receive fair compensation, and so far, we have not seen a full plan or timeline for when that will happen.

"Given the Premier鈥檚 commitment that accompanied the solemn proceedings in the legislature one year ago today, it is disheartening to see so little progress.鈥�
 
Chalke added that despite his multiple requests, the Ministry of the Attorney General has not provided clear information on when outstanding payments will be issued or who will be eligible.

"This lack of communication is particularly concerning given that the government previously stated after the provincial election that there would be clearer engagement with affected individuals, yet that has not materialized," Chalke said.

"Trust in government is at stake. Without action, the Premier鈥檚 apology risks being seen as symbolic rather than a meaningful commitment to justice."

The ombudsperson said his office will continue to monitor the province鈥檚 progress and call on the premier and attorney general to move faster, provide more transparency, and ensure that all those who were impacted receive the compensation they deserve.

The New Denver survivors have already waited decades for justice. Many have already died and the remaining survivors are in their 70s and 80s. 

Chalke noted that further delays increase the risk that they will never see the compensation they were promised.

Black Press has reached out to the Attorney General and Premier for comment.