THE HISTORY

The History of Lost Canadians

The history of the Lost Canadians is not well known in Canada.

It’s not a subject taught in school or university, and other than the period between 2007 and 2009, it has not been widely or consistently reported upon by the media.

And so, when the average Canadian learns that thousands of people either lost, or were at risk of losing, their citizenship, it comes as a shock.

This battle for fair citizenship laws has been ongoing since the passage of the 1947 Citizenship Act by the government of Mackenzie King. That law created a number of inequities that caused many people to lose their status as Canadians, even though they may have been born in Canada to Canadian parents.

Click on the Links below to learn more about this little known, but important part of Canada’s history and about the continuing crisis.

THE HISTORY
HOT OFF THE PRESS

The Lost Canadians: A Struggle for Citizenship Rights, Equality and Identity

When Don Chapman was six years old, he was stripped of his Canadian citizenship, thanks to an arcane provision of the Canadian Citizenship Act. Years later, he was stunned to discover the fact, and thus began his David-and-Goliath battle to change Canada’s archaic citizenship laws.