Youtube, CBC Manitoba , Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

The premier of Manitoba has issued a formal apology to two elderly men whose identities were accidentally switched at the hospital after they were born, resulting in each of their families taking home the other's baby and and both men unknowingly living the lives intended for each other.

Manitoba premier Wab Kinew personally conveyed the provincial government's responsibility for the accident which switched the identities of Richard Beauvais and Eddy Ambrose. Kinew's decision departs from precedent, with previous Manitoban administrations denying government responsibility for the mix-up.

“I rise today to deliver an apology that has been a long time coming, for actions that harmed two children, two sets of parents and two families across many generations,” Mr Kinew told the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

Beauvais, who grew up believing he was Indigenous, and Ambrose, who was raised as a Canadian of Ukrainian descent, discovered their true identities four years ago through DNA testing—shedding light on a mistake at the Arborg medical nursing unit in 1955.

Bill Gange, a lawyer representing both men, described the upcoming apology as significant not only for Beauvais and Ambrose but also for their families who were unknowingly separated from their biological relatives.

The apology from Kinew, Canada’s first indigenous provincial premier, acknowledges the deep personal and cultural ramifications of the error. This case marks the third known instance of such a mistake in Manitoba, underscoring the need for accountability and reconciliation in these deeply personal matters.

Since discovering their true heritage, Beauvais and Ambrose have begun the journey of reconnecting with their biological families and cultures. Ambrose and his daughter have been welcomed into the Manitoba Métis Federation, while Beauvais's family has forged connections with their newfound relatives