‘Lost Canucks’ fight for rights

By Jason Halstead, WINNIPEG SUN

Click here to read article in the Winnipeg Sun

27th January 2010

Most Canadians take their citizenship for granted, but the “Lost Canadians” know how precious a right it is.

Don Chapman heads the group The Lost Canadians and is fighting for thousands of people — many born in Canada or to Canadian parents abroad — to regain their citizenship and to change our country’s laws, which he said violates fundamental human rights.

Chapman made the case in Winnipeg Tuesday for the Lost Canadians’ inclusion in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

He said the “lost” include Canadian-born citizens whose parents took citizenship elsewhere, especially in the U.S., war brides and their children from the Second World War, Canadian border babies born in hospitals in the U.S., military kids born in Europe and children of Mennonite Canadians born in Latin America.

“We have stateless children here right now and that’s a violation of human rights laws,” Chapman said.

Last April, the Canadian Citizenship Act was amended to solve many of the problems facing lost Canadians, but Chapman said many are still fighting to gain what they see as rightful citizenship.

Chapman himself is one of the Lost Canadians. He was born in Canada to a Canadian war veteran who moved his family to the U.S. and became an American citizen. It was only when Chapman returned to Canada at age 18 he found out he had been stripped of his citizenship.

After fighting for decades to regain his full citizenship, Chapman opted to get his Canadian permanent resident status last March.

“I did it to prove a point,” Chapman said. “I have less rights than a Canadian citizen.”

Chapman estimates there are hundreds of thousands of such people who have had their right to Canadian citizenship taken away without their knowledge.

Click here to read article in the Winnipeg Sun

Click here to go to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Governor General Can't Say She Doesn't Know About Discrimination Against Lost Canadian Women, Children and Grandkids

The Governor General, Micael Jean, has launched a new site called CitizenVoices.org asking Canadians to get "engaged" and help "break down solitudes".

It just so happens that I posted this note about Lost Canadians on the CitizenVoices.org website earlier in the day of the Haitian earthquake, and my sincerest condolences go out to the Governor General whom I understand still has family there.



Go to http://www.citizenvoices.gg.ca and join the discussion about Lost Canadians

However, the issue of Lost Canadians has been around a long time before the earthquake in Haiti and this is certainly not the first time I have tried to engage a Governor General of Canada on the issue of citizenship and discrimination against Lost Canadians. Adrienne Clarkeson and her husband, John Raulston Saul (whose mother was a British War Bride no less and who appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship and IMmigration to speak about Citizenship during the Lost Canadian hearings), knew full well the extent of the Lost Canadian citizenship dilemna and chose to do nothing. What makes it even more frustrating is that after Adrienne Clarkeson stepped down as GG, the two of them set up an organization about Citizenship called the Institute for Canadian Citizenship with money from the Federal government. On its website, the ICC's stated "Mission" is as follows: The ICC is dedicated to engaging Canadians about citizenship.

Click here to go to Adrienne Clarkeson's Institute for Canadian Citizenship

We have higher hopes for Michael Jean, who, like her predecessor, is a foreign born woman of colour who probably knows better than any one else from first hand experience what it is like to be discriminated against in this country.

Let's hope we can count on Michael Jean to do something to help us because Adrienne Clarkeson and John Raulston Saul didn't even though they have been asked many many times over several years.

And oh, if anyone is wondering, I made this post on the Governor General's site with one thing in mind. Now the Right Honourable Michael Jean, the Governor General of Canada, and the people who work for her, can't say they don't know about the Lost Canadians because it's right there in red, black and white on their own website.

Globe and Mail's Leah McLaren Says Canada is Smug and That's Not Cool, Man.

Ms. McLaren:

Please read this email in its entirety. I relate to your latest column, "When did you get so smug, Canada? Not cool, man," but probably in a completely different way than you would expect.

Let me begin with your statement, "So you think, why should I bother calling my old friends back? Why should I drive this beat-up car? I'm a star. Don't you hear me? A star!"

You're right, Canadians do think of themselves as being better, particularly when they compare themselves to the Americans. You're next statement, "And now it's official, you're smug." Yes, Canada is, especially when it comes to their perception of human rights.

You go on to say, "Smugness, after all, breeds a false sense of security. It makes politicians ignore the needs of voters." Absolutely correct, and the best way to keep politicians honest is with an educated, informed electorate. You only get that with a free press that's always willing to challenge those politicians.

You went on to say, "All things considered, Canada, you were nicer in the early nineties, when there was barely a Conservative Party to speak of... You were a mess, but at least you were honest." The dishonesty coming out of the Harper government is appalling. I have the proof.

You concluded with these three sentences, "The real danger of smugness is the way that it imbues people and nations and, in your case, an increasingly arrogant Prime Minister's Office with a sense of superiority – one that makes them believe they're exempt from the rules. This is, after all, what the smuggies in Ottawa are counting on. Don't let them win."

Once again you are right on- this government does believe they are exempt from the rules. The problem is, the media in Canada - very much including The Globe & Mail - is allowing Mr. Harper to be arrogant and govern outside the rule of law by ignoring what I am about to say. By the way, I can prove everything. I'll begin with,

"The most advanced justice system in the world is a failure if it does not provide justice to the people it is meant to serve." - The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Canada.

Canada is currently disregarding the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights of 1948, as well as being in direct violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Wow, that's quite an achievement, especially when Canada wants to be known for human rights! And what's so amazing is that the Conservatives are getting away with it- the media is not holding the Harper government accountable.

I'm talking about citizenship, women's rights, justice, veteran's rights, and human rights.

Here are some examples, starting with an excerpt of Senate QP last March:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/2/parlbus/chambus/senate/deb-e/017db_2009-03-10-E.htm?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=2#28

Now some links to news stories explaining the gender discrimination (the little baby girl featured in the first story was officially turned down by Jason Kenney's department on Christmas Eve of just a few weeks ago):

http://www.vancouversun.com/generation+Lost+Canadians/1374831/story.html

http://www.vancouversun.com/More+Lost+Canadians/1374694/story.html

Here's another link from the Senate in October:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/2/parlbus/chambus/senate/deb-e/061db_2009-10-21-E.htm?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=2#16

Here's a link for my web page, click on the link for CBC's The National, where they talk about the gender discrimination:

http://www.lostcanadian.com/main.asp

And if that were not enough, many Canadians are just discovering that their old-age pensions are at risk:

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/904150

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/status+health+card/2113999/story.html

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2009/11/12/11718701-sun.html

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/902335

Stateless children? What kind of Conservative family values are these?

http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=c3a5560d-5170-4d4a-a318-a8675e759171&p=1

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Changes+Citizenship+many+loose/1742717/story.html

This Canadian-born, Canadian WWII veteran went to his grave disenfranchised from his own country. Jason Kenney refused to grant him citizenship!

http://www.carleton.ca/Capital_News/02112007/n5.shtml

The only reason government exists is either to protect citizens, or to make life better for its citizens. Stephen Harper has clearly failed- in fact he's actively turning his back against his own people. The reason the media exists is to educate and inform the public. Were you, Ms. McLaren, aware that this sort of discrimination goes on in Canada? Most Canadians don't have a clue. Why? Because the media hasn't been all over this story. In fact, the last time If the Globe and Mail did something on the Lost Canadians was almost three years ago, and the facts as reported were basically wrong. I asked for a correction but nothing was ever done. One month ago I sent an email to your Editor-in-Chief asking him to cover the Lost Canadians, and once again there was nothing but silence.

Here's a copy of that letter:

* * * * *
Mr. Stackhouse:

I recently attended an event at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, whereby they honoured Brian Williams of NBC News as the recipient of this year's prestigious award.

http://cronkite.asu.edu/node/790


In his speech, Mr. Williams related this story about his idea of journalism:

"I like to quote a great thinker that I used to hear on the radio growing up in the New York area when my dad would drive me around in the car. His name was Sy Syms. Sy Syms was the patriarch and proprietor, he was a haberdasher of the men’s clothing chain Simms. Sy insisted on doing his own radio ads, and he used to end each commercial: “At Syms, an educated consumer is our best customer.” And I drove along with my dad and grew up in later years to enter this business, and in the years since I’ve thought back – old Sy Syms really had something. That’s brilliant. He was right; he was right probably about men’s clothes, I don’t know, but he was certainly right about our line of work and so many others. An educated consumer is our best customer."

Now let me quote Mr. Cronkite, " Our job is only to hold up the mirror - to tell and show the public what has happened." He also stated, "In seeking truth you have to get both sides of the story."

Now back to how all this applies to you. This past year a law was passed that changed rights for all Canadians. Today they have less rights than they did a year ago. This law retroactively gave back to hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people their citizenship. It also helped define the meaning of what it means to be Canadian, prompting the government to bring about a new booklet called The Launch of Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. Here's the link:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/index.asp

This Bill gave women equality of rights in legislation for the first time in Canadian history. The Famous Persons case in 1929 recognized women as being people, but it wasn't for another 80 years could they pass citizenship onto their children on the same level that men had enjoyed for over half a century.

For reference, here are several links verifying what I'm saying:

CIC's video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDeDQpIQFD0

Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123993183347727843.html

Economist Magazine:
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-158687441.html

Bloomberg Television:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGubF7QSASk

Public Television - Seattle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH4W3CrVqTE

While this issue garnered media attention all over the world, the one newspaper which describes itself as Canada's Leading National Newspaper was noticeably absent. From The Globe and Mail's own web pages, here is how they describe themselves:

* The Globe and Mail has consistently delivered Canada's best and deepest coverage of national, international and business news.

* No other Canadian paper is more relied on, quoted or courted for its news coverage.

* The Globe is on the ground when stories break, able to report faster and more accurately than newspapers that rely heavily on wire services.

* The Globe offers balanced perspectives and competing points of view so that readers can make the smartest, most-informed decisions about issues.

I believe that the only story the Globe and Mail published about the Lost Canadians was on March 1, 2007 - almost three years ago - and the facts as reported were basically wrong. I asked for a correction but it was never printed.

There is just no way that Walter Cronkite or Brian Williams would have been sitting on the sidelines if such sweeping changes to Citizenship rights and laws were being debated in the U.S. Congress or Senate. For that matter can you really imagine anyone in the U.S. media remaining silent when the rights of citizenship were being changed?

This leads me to ask, why did you and why are you continuing to ignore such a huge subject that really does affect every Canadian? Is it not your duty as a journalist to report the news impartially and without censure? How can your readers make smart, informed decisions when they are never informed?

Right now as I type this letter, the government of Canada is violating two Supreme Court decisions, along with a multitude of international human rights conventions. Canada has created stateless children. A Canadian-born, Canadian WWII veteran recently died without citizenship, all because of gender discrimination. (And Canada prides itself on equality of rights!) Four other people have wrongly been denied citizenship for over 62 years. (Two of them are retired from the Canadian military!) Another Canadian citizen, in order to stay in Canada, was forced to become a refugee in his own country! Last summer a 10th-generation born Canadian citizen from Quebec was denied her passport when she applied for it in Geneva. And why was she in Geneva? Several years ago the government would only recognize her citizenship if she first signed a gag-order, promising never to tell anyone what the government had done to her. She refused to sign and was forced to move out of Canada. (We have a copy of the gag-order.) If that were not enough, thousands of other Canadian citizens currently have no rights in Canada- they can't work, they can't get passports, they literally have no rights whatsoever. Let me repeat- these people are Canadian citizens.

Doesn't this tweak your journalistic curiosity? As a Canadian, doesn't this disregard of citizens' rights by your government anger you? Here is a recent link:

CBC The National:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smjrQPLeWkU

Going further, we're about to launch a lawsuit that has huge ramifications. The last time we did this the government stated in the House of Commons during QP that our challenge was going to cost Canadian taxpayers into the "tens of billions of dollars." (That's almost $600 for every man, woman, and child in Canada.) Isn't it the right of every Canadian to know just what the government's disregard for the law will cost them? Isn't it the duty of your paper to inform them of this?

I must ask, why has your newspaper remained silent? You are the Editor-in-Chief, does this silence represent your personal values and views as a journalist? I would hope not. Also, isn't it the duty of all journalists to report the news regardless of their own opinions? Your actions and the direction you give to your reporters going forward will define who you are and your values as a journalist.

Once again it's worth repeating NBC news anchorman Brian Williams, "old Sy Syms really had something. That’s brilliant. He was right; he was right probably about men’s clothes, I don’t know, but he was certainly right about our line of work and so many others. An educated consumer is our best customer."

It's time to educate the Canadian public on the Lost Canadians. Besides, every time there is any sort of media coverage I get more Lost Canadians their status. The government seems to be motivated only when there is public awareness and outcry. Walter Cronkite is also worth repeating, "Our job is only to hold up the mirror - to tell and show the public what has happened."

That's exactly what your newspaper should be doing right now.

I hope to hear from you.

* * * * *

Like a broken record, there's been nothing but complete silence from Mr. Stackhouse and the Globe & Mail. Frankly, it's scary when the media refuses to report the news, and thus allows the government to become "smug." Let me quote you, "The real danger of smugness is the way that it imbues people and nations and, in your case, an increasingly arrogant Prime Minister's Office with a sense of superiority – one that makes them believe they're exempt from the rules. This is, after all, what the smuggies in Ottawa are counting on. Don't let them win."

I couldn't agree more. Let me now quote the late Canadian journalist, author, and social activist June Callwood, "Once you know about the abuse you become a part of it."

Ms. McLaren, you now know about the Lost Canadians, you are a journalist, and you work for a national newspaper. In my letter to John Stackhouse I quoted Brian Williams and Walter Cronkite. I'm certain that as journalists they would have told this story if it happened in the United States. In essence, the gauntlet is now in your hands. If our story is not told the Canadian public will remain uninformed, the Harper government will continue their smugness, and the human rights abuses against your fellow Canadians will go on.

Please, please do an in-depth story about the Lost Canadians. All that I'm asking is that you hold up the mirror - to tell and show the public what has happened. To use your own words regarding the Canadian government, "Don't let them win."

Thank you for your time,

Don Chapman
dcinbc@yahoo.ca
www.lostcanadian.com
480.641.9809 U.S.
604.886.0611 Canada

* * * * *
January 12, 2009

Hi Don,

Thanks for the email. I’m going to do some more research and see what we can do as an organization to support your work.

Thanks again for bringing this to our attention, these stories are very troubling indeed.

Best,

Sam
Sam Spady
Advocacy and Communications Coordinator
Canadian Federation of University Women


* * * * *

(Attached to this letter to Leah McLaren were two personal stories which we have removed for privacy reasons)

Welcome to the Lost Canadians Website

Breaking News: International Women's Week, March 8-15, 2010, Toronto Star, Halifax Chronicle Herald, Fredericton Daily Gleaner, Citizenship & Immigration Discriminates Against Women, Click here to read more.
Lost Canadians are Canadian citizens who were stripped of their citizenship by arcane provisions of the 1947 Canadian Citizenship Act. In this CBC interview which aired on October 22, 2009, Terry Milewski of The National interviews a group of Lost Canadians on Parliament Hill about the outstanding cases which the Minister of Citizenship, Jason Kenney, refuses to deal with, leaving one six month old baby girl stateless in China.

Lost Canadians include:

Canadian born citizens whose fathers and mothers took out citizenship in another country, especially the United States;

War Brides of World War Two and their children who were born in wedlock and brought to Canada on the War Bride ships before and after January 1, 1947;

War Bride children who were born out of wedlock during the Second World War and who came to Canada with their mothers on the War Bride ships before and after January 1, 1947;

Border Babies who were born in hospitals across the border in the United States because there wasn't a hospital nearby in Canada;

Military Brats who were born in Europe while their fathers were serving in the Army of Occupation and NATO in post war Europe; and

Mennonites whose religious marriages in Mexico and Paraguay are not recognized by the Canadian government.

There are hundreds of thousands of Lost Canadians in Canada, in the United States and around the world, citizens whose right to citizenship was taken away from them without their knowledge.

On April 19, 2009, the Canadian Citizenship Act was amended by Bill C-37, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act. Also known as the "Lost Canadian Bill", Bill C-37 solved most of the problems facing Lost Canadians. However, there are still hundreds of Lost Canadians, including War Bride children, children born out of wedlock during the Second World War, and Mennonites who have been refused citizenship by the Canadian government as recently as Christmas Eve 2009.

12 Ways to Lose Your Citizenship

There are twelve ways to lose your Canadian citizenship.

1) As a minor child ones father took out citizenship in another country.

2) You were a foreign-born Canadian, and on your 24th birthday you weren't domiciled in Canada .

3) You were a War Bride who never became naturalized.

4) You were a War-Bride child who never was naturalized.

5) In certain circumstances, you were a second-generation born abroad Canadian and you didn't reaffirm your citizenship by your 28th birthday.

6) You were a border-baby, meaning you were born in the U.S. (mainly because the nearest hospital was in the States rather than Canada ), and you were never properly registered. People from Quebec were particularly affected.

7) In certain circumstances, your connection to Canada came through a women rather than a man. This mainly affected foreign born, born in-wedlock children to Canadian mothers and foreign fathers. In 1997 the Canadian Supreme Court ruled CIC was guilty of gender discrimination, thus granting citizenship to this group on application. However, in 2004 CIC decided to ignore the Supreme Court's ruling, thus Canada went back to blatantly discriminating against women.

8) You were born out of wedlock.

9) You were born to a Canadian serviceman outside of Canada, commonly referred to as military Brats.

10) You are a woman who married a non-Canadian prior to 1947.

11) You are a child of a woman who married a non-Canadian prior to 1947. (It doesn't matter that you've spent your whole life in Canada or were born in Canada!)

12) You took out citizenship in another country prior to 1977.

Do you fit into one of the above groups?

In fact close to one-million people do. That's quite a number, being that Canada is a country of just over 33-million persons.