ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS — The Senate

Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That the Senate:

(a)recognize and acknowledge that during the postwar decades, hundreds of thousands of unmarried mothers in Canada were coerced into surrendering their babies for adoption due to forceful pressure from religious organizations, social workers, the medical community and others, particularly in maternity homes and hospitals;

(b)note that other countries such as Australia, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium and the Republic of Korea have all issued formal apologies for the postwar forced adoption practices that took place in their countries;

(c)express profound regret to the mothers affected by this practice, who have experienced lasting emotional, psychological and physical trauma as a result of life-long separation from their children due to Canada’s forced adoption practices;

(d)acknowledge the enduring negative impact on adoptees, who were denied the opportunity to grow up with their families and communities of origin, including the loss of identity, familial connection and access to personal history; and

(e)call on the Government of Canada to issue a formal public apology to the mothers and children who were victims of the shameful forced adoption practices in Canada in the postwar years.