Family Bonds & Belonging | Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

March 9 to November 15, 2019

What is family, anyway? Can you pick your family or is it determined by biology? Is family the people you share holidays with? Or, is it more of a feeling?

Family Bonds and Belonging honours and interprets the many ideas of family. Through four themes --belonging, growth and change, gatherings and generations -- the exhibition celebrates Canadian identity by exploring families and family history, linking past to present and province to nation.

Connect with stories from early and contemporary families. Explore the traditions of those who came as immigrants and those who have always been here. Reminisce about your own family’s uniqueness and explore the joy and complexities of bonds and belonging.

Family: It’s NOT all relative.

Two people do an activity involving posting pieces of paper with writing on a board.

An image of the exhibition featuring framed family photos on the wall and exhibition panels.

Two large masks in a glass case beside a painting of a family at a dinner table, both hung on the wall.

A child uses an audio device to listen to part of the exhibit.

An adult and two children stand under a constructed tree, reading notes on paper leaves.

A collar, passport, and photograph in a glass display case relating to an immigrant family’s dog.

This exhibition was originally produced by the Royal BC Museum and has been adapted by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Presented by