Manitoba men switched at birth receiving $250K settlement from province

Two Manitoba men who learned decades later they were switched at birth have received a settlement from the Manitoba government.

Edward Ambrose and Richard Beauvais were each paid $250,000 by the province, according to a recent financial information disclosure for the 2025-26 fiscal year released by the province.

Ambrose and Beauvais were born on the same day in 1955 in Arborg, Man., but went home with different parents.

“What happened was a miscarriage of justice. No one can give them back the years that were lost but we hope the settlement brings some closure,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said in a statement.

Beauvais, who was raised Metis, took a test with an at-home ancestry kit he got as a gift in 2022. The results came back saying he was Ukrainian and Jewish. That same year, Ambrose’s sister also did an at-home ancestry kit and found she had a brother living in British Columbia, who turned out to be Beauvais.

Ambrose was raised Ukrainian throughout his life but became a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation in 2024 after learning of his heritage.

The pair received a formal apology from Premier Wab Kinew in the Manitoba legislature in 2024.

With files from CTV’s Jon Hendricks and The Canadian Press