Izabela Jaroszynski and her family were the first group to take advantage of a brand-new experience offered by the Museum—a two-hour private tour, custom-tailored to her family’s interests and immigration history.
Family documents unearthed
In preparation for the visit, Izabela answered questions to help Museum staff customize the experience. “The process was actually very easy. I gave them the information I knew about our family and some direction about what I hoped to learn,” says Izabela.
The answers helped Museum researchers uncover official government documents related to her husband Paul’s great-grandfather.
“His great-grandfather came to Canada in the late 1800s when he was just eight years old, and (staff member) Carrie-Ann had managed to find documents tracing his life here — from his arrival in Canada to his marriage and his enlistment in the First World War,” says Izabela. “There were documents with his signature on them, which none of us had ever seen before, and even photographs of the ship he arrived on. It was quite emotional to see all of that family history laid out on a table in front of us.”
A very different experience
For Izabela, the private guided tour was very different from a regular visit to the Museum.
“It never felt like someone simply walking us through an exhibit. It felt much more personal and human,” she says. “Carrie-Ann knew our story and our interests before we arrived, so she could make connections we never would have made exploring the museum on our own.”
Tours are not just for people whose families came through Pier 21. Indeed, neither she nor Paul had relatives who arrived through the facility.
“If you’re an immigrant yourself, or your family arrived in Canada at another time or through another port, the tour can still be shaped around the parts of the immigration story that connect to you.”
A tour for all ages
Also on the tour were Izabela’s three children, aged 15, 12 and 9. Izabela wasn’t sure how well the experience would land with the kids.
“There was something for everyone,” Izabela says. While the 15-year-old enjoyed the tour guide’s stories, the other two were drawn into the interactive elements of the exhibitions. But more than that, “having a private guide also meant we could move at our own pace while still benefiting from a guide's knowledge and expertise.”
A deeper understanding of your history
“The personalized tour is perfect for anyone who wants to understand their own family immigration story in a deeper way,” says Izabela. “It gave us a way to see our own family history woven into the larger story of immigration in Canada.”
How to Book
Private tours need to be booked four weeks in advance to give staff time to prepare the experience. A private tour costs $150 per adult and lasts two hours. Bookings can be made here. Visitors can come early or stay after their tour to take in even more of what the Museum has to offer.
For more information about the private guided experience, contact Angelique Cishahayo, Assistant Manager, Interpretation, by email or by telephone at 902-425-7770 ext. 255.
