The Province of B.C. has moved on to the next phase of compensation related to the February 2024 apology to the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor community.
The apology recognized the targeting of the Sons of Freedom 乌鸦传媒� a group within the Doukhobor community 乌鸦传媒� with fines and seizure of property for acts of civil disobedience, such as missing school and protesting naked.
In addition, about 200 children were forcibly removed from their families between 1953 and 1959 and placed in a residential school in New Denver.
The government acknowledged that many of the children were subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse that left deep, generation-spanning scars on them, their families, loved ones, and the broader community.
The apology included a $10 million compensation package that included a $3.75 million health and wellness fund, a $5 million Sons of Freedom Doukhobor legacy fund, and $1.25 million for research and archival projects.
Since August 2024, the government has been working on making payments to survivors out of the health and wellness fund.
Living survivors who were of school age at the time of their incarceration are receiving $18,000 each.
The will go to living survivors who were not of school age when they were taken to the New Denver School.
Earlier this year the government announced those individuals will each receive $5,000, plus $1,000 for each month they were detained up to a maximum of $10,000.
Also eligible for compensation are deceased survivors乌鸦传媒� descendants, including spouses or common-law partners and legally adopted children.
Descendants of survivors who are still alive or who have already received the health and well-being fund are not eligible to receive additional support.
People who believe they may be eligible to receive support, but have not been contacted by the province, can email the Ministry of Attorney General at sofd@gov.bc.ca. The deadline to contact the ministry regarding compensation is January 2026.
To read the complete text of the government's apology go to .
According to the B.C. Attorney General, the has been transferred to Selkirk College, which will be responsible for administering the funds. The use of those funds will be directed by a committee formed from members of the Sons of Freedom community.