Child migrant memorial on the site of 'Hazelbrae' home, Peterborough, Ontario. Reproduced courtesy Barnardo Hazelbrae Memorial Group.
"Too young to cross the road, we were deported to the other side of the world to cold, cruel institutions. We were robbed of our identities, our dignity and our families. Our parents lost their children." International Association of Former Child Migrants and Their Families.
For decades many former child migrants have struggled to come to terms with their deportation. While some prospered, others endured the trauma of substance abuse, depression and failed relationships.
Searching for identity and a sense of belonging, former child migrants have raced desperately against time to reconnect with lost mothers, fathers and siblings. For many it has been too late.
British child migrant memorial, Migration Museum, Adelaide. Reproduced courtesy Migration Museum.