Even by the standards of mid-twentieth century Canada, when
discrimination was rampant and governments’ restricted fundamental
freedoms, Maurice Duplessis stands out. His tenure as Premier of Quebec
(1936-1939, 1944-1959) is referred to as Le Grande Noirceur. By the
1950s Duplessis had become associated with some of the worst instances
of state abuse of civil liberties in Canadian history. One of these
policies is known as “Duplessis’ orphans.”
As Premier, Duplessis (a bachelor with no children) had a powerful ally in the Catholic Church. The church was responsible for social services across the province, including orphanages. More than 20,000 “illegitimate” children - born to unmarried, often young, women - were born between 1949 and 1956. The proportion of illegitimate children in Quebec was lower than the rest of Canada, but the province had the highest rate of institutionalization and fewer adoptions.
http://www.historyofrights.com/Issues/orphans.html
As Premier, Duplessis (a bachelor with no children) had a powerful ally in the Catholic Church. The church was responsible for social services across the province, including orphanages. More than 20,000 “illegitimate” children - born to unmarried, often young, women - were born between 1949 and 1956. The proportion of illegitimate children in Quebec was lower than the rest of Canada, but the province had the highest rate of institutionalization and fewer adoptions.
http://www.historyofrights.com/Issues/orphans.html