Canadians for a National Apology
A collective voice rising from decades of silence.
Canadians for a National Apology is a time-limited, single-issue campaign calling on the Government of Canada to issue a formal National Apology for the coercive and discriminatory adoption practices that separated more than 350,000 mothers from their newborns. These practices caused lifelong and intergenerational harm — to mothers, to the children who were taken, and to the families and communities around them.
In 2018, the Senate of Canada released its landmark report, The Shame Is Ours, documenting this history and recommending that the Government of Canada issue a National Apology within one year. Eight years later, none of the recommendations have been acted on and no apology has been issued.
On May 26, 2026, something historic happened. For the first time in Canadian history, both the Senate and the House of Commons addressed forced adoption practices on the same day. A federal petition calling for a National Apology was read in the House that morning, placing this harm into the public record and triggering a 45-day period in which the government must issue a response.
This moment represents a rare and critical window for action. When Canadians stand together — across movements, sectors, and communities — our collective voice becomes harder for governments to ignore.
We invite Canadians, organizations, and allies to stand with us in calling for this long-overdue apology. An apology cannot undo the harm done, but it can become a step towards healing.