WHY A NATIONAL APOLOGY MATTERS
What the 2018 Senate Report Found
In 2018, the Senate of Canada released *The Shame Is Ours*, a comprehensive report documenting the experiences of mothers and the children taken from them through historical adoption practices from the 1940s well through the 1990s. The report concluded that these practices were often coercive, discriminatory, and rooted in social stigma rather than informed consent.
Key Findings
• Young, unwed mothers were pressured, coerced, or forced into surrendering their newborns.
• Many were denied information, support, or the ability to make an informed decision.
• Children were separated from their families without adequate safeguards or oversight.
• The consequences have been lifelong and intergenerational, affecting identity, mental health, family relationships, and well‑being.
• The federal government played a role through funding, policy frameworks, and institutional oversight.
Why an Apology Is Necessary
The Senate concluded that the harm caused by these practices was significant, enduring, and deserving of acknowledgment. A National Apology is not symbolic — it is a public act of accountability. It recognizes the truth of what happened, affirms the dignity of those affected, and acknowledges the role of federal systems and policies in enabling these practices.
An apology cannot undo the past, but it can:
• validate the experiences of mothers, the children taken from them, and their families
• acknowledge the harm that has been carried in silence for decades
• affirm that these practices were wrong
• create a foundation for healing and recognition
International Precedent
Several countries with similar postwar adoption practices have already issued formal national apologies, including:
• Australia (2013)
• Ireland (2021)
• Scotland (2023)
• Wales (2023)
These acknowledgments have provided recognition, validation, and a measure of healing for those affected. Canada has not yet taken this step.
Why This Matters Now
It has been eight years since the Senate recommended a National Apology. Despite acknowledging the harm in a written response, the Government of Canada has not acted on the recommendation.
Many of those affected are aging. Families have lived with unanswered questions, unresolved grief, and the weight of silence for decades. A National Apology is long overdue — and delaying it further risks repeating the pattern of dismissal and invisibility that caused harm in the first place.
What Healing Would Mean
A National Apology would not erase the past, but it would finally:
• acknowledge the truth publicly
• honour the mothers who were silenced
• recognize the children who grew up without answers
• affirm the families who have carried this grief across generations
• mark a turning point from silence toward dignity, truth, and recognition
For many, it would be the first time their experiences are named, validated, and honoured by the country that failed to protect them.