Little government progress on Doukhobor compensation, B.C.'s ombudsperson says
Government apologized for treatment of Doukhobors in B.C. in February 2024
British Columbia's ombudsperson says the lack of government progress on compensating Doukhobors who were wrongfully detained in the 1950s is "disheartening."
A statement from Jay Chalke says it's been a year since Premier David Eby apologized to the Sons of Freedom Doukhobors for government actions decades ago, but there's still no clear process or timeline to pay descendants of survivors.
Chalke says the government has made progress making payments to some of those who were held in New Denver as school-aged children, but it's been slow to say who else will be eligible for compensation, leaving many still waiting for answers.
"We've heard almost daily, from survivors for the past year, wondering what's going on.," he said in an interview with CBC News.
"They took to heart the commitment by the attorney general ... and by the premier and the legislature, that, 'We're going to make this right,' and since then, there's really been a startling lack of information to the community."
The children were taken from their homes due to the religious beliefs of their parents, members of an exiled Russian Christian group, and they were held in at a former tuberculosis facility in New Denver, B.C., for up to six years.
Chalke says the government promised last year to ensure all affected people receive fair compensation, and it's "disheartening to see so little progress."
Despite many requests, he says, the Attorney General's Ministry has not provided clear information on when outstanding payments will be issued or who will be eligible.
"The government made a promise to this community, and that promise is only partly fulfilled," Chalke says.
"It's time to ensure that what has already been promised is fully, fairly and transparently allocated."
He says his office calls on the government to move faster, provide more transparency, and ensure that all those who were harmed receive the compensation they deserve.
In an emailed response, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said her office has been "engaging directly" with survivors and descendants of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobors and that many survivors were able to access funds "within months" of the apology.
She said that as of Feb. 27, the same day Chalke's report was released, survivors, spouses and descendants were notified that children taken to New Denver who were not of school age are also eligible for funding for an initial amount of $5,000 plus $1,000 for each additional month they were held, to a maximum of $10,000. That money would be available, she said, in the spring and summer of 2025.
With files from Corey Bullock