Immigration of Home Children

Between 1869 and 1939, about 100,000 child immigrants, casualties of unemployment and poverty in Britain, were uprooted from their homes and families. With hopes of giving them new lives in Canada, British agencies sent children to receiving homes like this one. From there, a few of the younger children were adopted into Canadian families, but most were apprenticed as agricultural labourers or domestic servants. Often deprived of education and the comforts of family life, Home Children suffered loneliness and prejudice. Their experience reveals a poignant chapter in Canadian immigration history.

Entre 1869 et 1939, le chômage et la pauvreté en Grande-Bretagne arrachèrent environ 100 000 enfants à leur foyer. Dans l’espoir de leur procurer une vie meilleure, des agences britanniques les envoyèrent au Canada dans des hospices comme celui-ci. Par la suite, quelques-uns des plus jeunes furent adoptés, mais la plupart devinrent des ouvriers agricoles ou des domestiques. Souvent privés d’éducation et du bonheur de la vie familiale, ces petits immigrés subirent les préjugés et connurent la solitude. Leur expérience demeure un témoignage poignant dans l’histoire de l’immigration au Canada.