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British Home Children: Commemorative

British Home Children were impoverish youngsters between infancy and 18 years of age who were sent to British Colonies by philanthropic groups. British Home Children were sent to Canada between the 1860's and the 1940's. .

British Home Child Quilt

An interview with Hazel Perrier who worked on the quilt shown above to commemorate 2010 being declared Year of the British Home Child.

 

http://www.canadashistory.ca/Magazine/Online-Exclusive/Articles/Making-memories.aspx

Aultsville Train Station - British Home Child Museum

Since 2013, the Ontario East British Home Child Family working with the Parks of the St. Lawrence have operated a museum dedicated to the history of the British Home Children which is open to the public for five weeks through late August until the end of September, when the displays and artifacts are used for the annual British Home Child Day celebration and commemoration at various locations throughout Eastern Ontario.

Source:  Judy Neville, President Ontario East British Home Child Family

Monument to British Home Children

British Home Child Lane

British Home Child Lane is located between Morrisburg Ontario and Upper Canada Village.  With the assistance of the Roads Department of the United Counties of Stormont Dundas and Glengarry and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, British Home Child descendent Carolyn Thompson Goddard, Judy Neville, Jim Brownell, Tom Brownell and members of the Ontario East British Home Child Family, the roadway leading from County Road 2 into Aultsville Station and the Crysler Marina was designated as British Home Child Lane.

Source: Personal knowledge of BHC Descendant Carolyn Thompson Goddard

Canadian Flag Prototypes Sewn by BHC Descendant

In November 1964, British Home Child Ken Donovan who was employed by the federal government was asked to provide prototypes of the final three submissions for the Canadian Flag.  As it was late on a Friday when the request for the flags to be produced for the following morning there were no seamstresses available and so he asked his daughter, Joan O'Malley if she could sew the prototypes.  On a snowy evening Joan and her husband drove across Ottawa with her personal singer sewing machine and over the next few hours in a warehouse they produced the prototypes so they could be delivered to Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson the following morning at Harrington Lake.  On February 15 2017, during the 150th year of Canadian Confederation, Joan raised a ceremonial Canadian Flag during a Heritage Canada event on Parliament Hill.  Later that day she was honoured for her contribution to our history during Question Period, was the guest at a reception in the speaker's chambers.  During her visit from her winter residence in Florida she met with the Governor General and presented information at the Museum of History on three occasions.  Her sewing machine is on loan for 2 years to the Museum of History.

Photo below taken by Tom Brownell at the Museum of History on Feb 19 2017 shows Joan O'Malley with the sewing machine on which she sewed the prototypes of the Canadian Flag in  late 1964.

Source: Interview with Joan O'Malley conducted by Carolyn Thompson Goddard

Ongoing Exhibits

George Green Memorial

George Green came to Canada as a British Home Child and was severely physically abused by the woman he worked for, dying as a result.   

2010 Year of British Home Child Commemorative Stamp

British Home Child Day in Ontario

On May 19 2011, Bill 185, sponsored by Stormont Dundas and South Glengarry Member of Provincial Parliament Jim Brownell, with Grenville Leeds MPP Steve Clark and Cheri DiNovo, MPP for Parkdale-Hyde Park was passed Bill 185 which upon Royal Assent designated September 28 as British Home Child Day in Ontario.

Source:  Various media sources; personal knowledge of BHC Descendant Carolyn Thompson Goddard

On September 28, 2011 the Premier of Nova Scotia, Darrell Dexter, proclaimed September 28 as British Home Child Day in Nova Scotia.

 

https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20110928001

British Home Child Day in Canada

On November 22, 2017 Stormont Dundas and South Glengarry MP Guy Lauzon introduced Motion-133 which would see September 28 recognized as British Home Child Day in Canada.  On November 22 2017 and February 1, 2018 MP's had the opportunity to speak to this motion and Motion 133 was passed on February 7, 2018 by unanimous vote of the House of Commons in Canada.

Sources:  Various media sources; Personal knowledge of BHC descendant Carolyn Thompson Goddard