Two Canadian men who were mistakenly switched at birth have finally received an apology from the government nearly 70 years later.

Richard Beauvais and Eddy Ambrose, now 68, were born on the same day in 1955 at the same hospital in Arborg, Manitoba. However, a critical error occurred, altering the course of their lives forever.

Beauvais, hailing from Sechelt, British Columbia, grew up believing he was of indigenous heritage. But a DNA test revealed a different truth, showing his ancestry to be a mix of Ukrainian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Polish.

Meanwhile, Ambrose’s sister, raised by a Ukrainian family, took a DNA test herself. The results were shocking: she was not related to Ambrose but to Beauvais, making him her biological brother.

The revelation unveiled a staggering mistake made in 1955: the two men were switched at birth and raised by each other’s biological families.

Only recently, on Thursday (21 March), did Ambrose and Beauvais receive a formal apology in person from Manitoba’s Premier Wab Kinew. They sat together to hear the apology after spending years apart from their biological families.

In the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, Premier Kinew expressed regret for the actions that caused harm to both children and families across generations. He emphasized the importance of understanding empathy and compassion by acknowledging the profound impact of the switch on the men’s lives.

The connection between Ambrose and Beauvais began with a phone call, an unimaginable conversation for both. “Is this Eddy Ambrose?” Beauvais began, recounting their shared history from 1955.

Their lawyer, Bill Gange, described the apology as a significant acknowledgment of the mistake’s profound impact. It symbolized the province’s recognition that such a grave error should never have occurred.