Don’t you think that the province should concentrate on fixing the historical wrongs done the the aboriginals first?

I don’t think an apology is something this generation owes for an historical wrong by previous generations. Emancipating this generations dignity means nothing in terms of an apology for the wrongs done by others.

I think if property was expropriated by government inappropriately, or if they still lack the rights any other Canadian has before the law… then compensation should be in order, but to apologize for past public policy only adds legitimacy to hate claims that become ongoing and further motivate extremist viewpoints.

I don’t know if anyone on here has been on Chinese mainland web sites and seen some of the extreme hate that is leveled at Americans for perceived historical wrongs that border on the ludicrous, viewpoints that cheer our nuclear annihilation… so in light of that an apology is akin to providing legitimacy for those that push the extremist viewpoints in China that call for war.

A can of worms that will serve no good by opening.

Just issue an official apology.

Come to think of it, a world forum should be held where every country is given an opportunity to officially apologize for any past conflicts, wrong doings and resulting injuries inflicted on others during mankind’s endless wars and discriminatory behavior which started with history’s first recorded murder – that of Cain slaying his brother Abel.

Then we can all take a deep breath and promise to live peacefully and harmoniously with each other in the present instead of bemoaning things that happened in the past.

P Val. Not a chance, that one will never be settled as new generations are born all the time and they will want their undo pieces of the pie.

Wow….. It never end

Eagleone and Randy; Last I checked, apologizing for past wrongs was a good thing!

I’m still waiting on the governments apology for adopting me into an unstable family!! Or how about the doctor that was to busy to properly diagnose me for 2 years. It took another doctor less than five minutes to diagnose.Leading me to lose 50% of my hearing

I guess all I’m trying to say is everyone has a story

Who’s next? Get in line, we are a rich country.

Thanks for your comments… it puts things into perspective when we see our Federal Government spending our tax money hiring lawyers to try and prevent access to historic documents (evidence) of residential school wrong-doing, by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, who is hiring lawyers, using out tax dollars, to gain access to those documents.

We wouldn’t want the truth to come out now would we?

How do you right a historical wrong? Is an apology enough?

Apologies have been said, lets get on with positive things. Someone is just stiring the coals as usuall. Have a nice day everyone.

An apology is an expression of regret or contrition for a fault or failing.

We no longer have capital punishment in this country. Should we be apologizing to any of the relatives of those who were killed legally (at the time) by the state for past failings to be more humane?

As P Val said, there are a few more obvious apologies which are required as well while we are in an apologetic mood.

In my view there are no historical wrongs. Things happened for a reason, a reason which was valid at the time.

One should not judge the decisions which were made by people long dead during times which were totally different than the world those people who are alive today grew up in.

Countries change over time.

If anyone should apologize it is the people who caused the injustice to happen. I am sorry, but they are no longer around.

Are we to be saddled with collective guilt of our forefathers? In that case, the first nations are most certainly at the head of the line and the line is much longer than First Nations and Chinese.

No matter how many times we apologize what is done is done. Maybe we should make a stat holiday in June to remember the wrong doings of our ancestors and apologize for the wrong doing each year! A good date would would be June 30th! We could all go down to the park and have a huge healing circle, smudge ourselves in smoke then celebrate the country we live in the next day!

A question …. if this were an initiative to apologize to aboriginals, would there be a number of supportive posts here today?

IMHO, all of this government apologizing and “healing processes” is just smoke and mirrors to hide the actions of the current power brokers and curry the favour of emerging minorities who may soon be the majority… I suspect future gov’ts may be apologizing for the actions of their predecessors of 2014.

When will we finish paying for the sins of our fathers???

Should the Haida nation apologize for the raids on the coast. Oops sorry history rewrite those where trading forays. Oh don’t forget the money part.

These apology thing is getting ridiculous, just who dreams this stuff up?

I personally didn’t do nuthin’ wrong to anybody. Why should I apologize on behalf of nasty dead people? We are soooo nice. Step on someone’s foot and then listen to them apologize. The world is nutz!

All the dead people responsible for this say they are sorry…..next!

“How do you right a historical wrong? Is an apology enough?”

The feds have already provided our tax dollars for their dead predecessors part in this.

“Are we to be saddled with collective guilt of our forefathers? In that case, the first nations are most certainly at the head of the line and the line is much longer than First Nations and Chinese”

What about the Neanderthals?

I’m wondering if in about ten years we’ll be apologizing to the foreign temporary workers that are currently pouring our coffee and getting our muffins for allowing them to work here, but not live here, and to be treated less than a regular Canadian worker. The old adage is quite true, hindsight is 20/20. We didn’t live at a time when Japan bombed the crap out of Pearl Harbor and Hitler was rolling through Europe with tanks and storm troopers, but we’re pretty good at apologizing for what the governments of the day did. In a sense our apologies could be considered an insult to those who fought at the time, because at the time, it was deadly serious to them. Not so much now that we’re all friends. Personally, lots of crap in my life I can feel angry about – I grew up with brilliant red hair, talk about a visible minority, but I just decided to let it go, but if there’s some cash with an apology, maybe I could rethink that.

The best way to right historical wrongs is to endeavour to protect and affirm basic human decency and freedoms. Be a leader.

Hmm… which is why we are doing such a bang-up job on our child poverty rate here in B.C.

As we continue to show the rest of Canada, and the world, how little we care about basic human decency and freedoms.

Look at the comments on this article as an example, apparently we can’t even muster the decency to apologize for past wrongs we have committed.

Some very sick and cynical comments here, really wish the people posting these comments could muster the courage to attend the forum next Wednesday at the Civic Centre to voice their opinions publicly, although we know hiding behind monikers and commenting so defiantly in an anonymous manner seems to be the preferred approach.

People #1 I can see you being the guy at work that no one wants any to do with lol. And why would I show up to a forum that I owe nothing to and don’t have anything to contribute too

Anything to do with

The Chinese were already given an apology I had thought
People#1 Your ranting is making you sound like Jennifer

That old child poverty song and dance People#1 brings up in just about every thread. Blah blah blah.

As far as apologies go, they have been said. But it will never be enough for some.

Thanks for making my point JB, you never disappoint.

You’re nothing if not completely predictable, People#1.

There are people out there that obviously think this is the right thing to do.. The Chinese were a big part in developing the the north.. This is enough info for me to support something like this. Although you can’t go back an change things that were done Its still important for society to aknowledge the past so its not doomed to repeat it. It shares simular values and principals as Remembrance Day for example..

Wonder if the Chinese will finally pay taxes on all the gold they took out of the Caribou.

I agree that bringing up child poverty – when the theme is about righting historical wrongs – (wrongs that occurred in the past) is way off base.

The subject of child poverty is a very complex one. It is happening in the present and we can actually do something about it.

The things that happened in the past like the brutal colonial conquests by the British, French, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese are history. Perhaps their descendants should step up to the plate, apologize and pay compensation.

The Spanish were exceptionally brutal when it came to colonization, they left very little in the way of witnesses in their hunt for gold

My cousins, brothers, uncles, great grandfathers, sisters, mothers, uncles, great grand father wronged my mothers, brothers, uncles, fathers, great grandmothers great grand father.

What do I get???????

Besides getting to pay for that too?

The generation that did the wrongs were the ones to apologize. To apologize for something is to accept personal responsibility for those actions. Who are we to speak for those of past generations who are no longer around to defend their actions and intentions?

What would be far more constructive would be an affirmation of rights that are now protected and respected, and perhaps a level of appreciation and recognition for those that helped to bring about those changes. If that was to then be construed as an apology, then so be it, but at least when framed in a forward looking positive context it doesn’t become a propaganda tool for extremists.

Forcing an apology is about assigning guilt and liability to future generations and not about reconciling the past with the realities of today.

If there is an injustice that exists today than we should very well apologize for that as we reconcile the issue.

I agree with NoWay about the stat except instead of being on April 30 I think February 30 would be a better date to reflect on historical wrongs.

In 50 years we may just end up apologizing to the generation alive today for apologizing …… ;-)

slinky wrote: “The Spanish were exceptionally brutal when it came to colonization, they left very little in the way of witnesses in their hunt for gold”

Not just colonization; remember the inquisition. Religious fanatics were/are typically extremely cruel.

Has the Catholic Church and the Spanish government apologized yet to the families of those wrongly accused?