Aileen Ratz Scrapbook. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

My mother assured him that we only had personal belongings and oil and cheese, he marked the trunks with a check mark and away we went on the train. If course it wasn’t the whole truth because my grandmother was loaded up with liquor bottles sewed inside the coat she was wearing…

The prairies were dreary in March and seemed to go on forever and ever given we had come from a country that one could cross by car or train in a matter of hours. The big surprise came in the middle of one night when our father shook us all awake and told us to look at the mountains. I rolled over in the berth and looked out and saw rock walls, then I rolled on my back and far above us, shining in the moonlight, were snow-covered peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Amazing! Denmark's "Heaven Mountain" is a whole 480 meters high - these mountain peaks were beyond imagining.

...I felt wonderful to be in a new country.

As soon as we landed at Toronto airport, that was amazing the peace and the comfort, I had in my heart, in my body, I cannot explain, I was just standing outside the airport and I was just shivering, like oh my God, so finally we are in Canada.

My parents immigrated from Poland and Ukraine. I was so lucky to be born in Canada

... That evening, my Dad had bought some "Canadian sliced white bread", which was something new for us, which he made extra special by buttering the bread and sprinkling sugar on top...

Zoratti family on board the S.S. Homeland, June 1952. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

It was very different coming here in the way you got treated. I remember just being totally shocked by how welcoming and open people were.

Displaced people on board the S.S. Ostervag. Origins Unknown.

The Netherlands is our country of birth and always will be our homeland but now we are Canadian. We will be forever grateful to the staff and all who were, and are now, associated with Pier 21

We feel lucky that they are all growing up in the most wonderful country in the world. I will always remember where I came from but it is who I am now that matters.

Doppenberg family on board the M.S. Ryndam, 1960. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Adjusting to life in Canada was a bit challenging in the first couple of months but I soon started meeting people and learning about the culture, going to university and being part of the community,

Second World War Canadian nurses, with Vera M Ruth Sullivan. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

The day was cold and grey. Finally, there was Canada on the horizon and we were soon going to go ashore to our new country. For a child, it couldn't get better then this - the adventure and excitement just kept coming. If I ever make it back to Halifax, there's no way that I'd miss visiting Pier 21. Thanks for the site!

Fannie, my cat, my mom, my dad, my jewellery, my plushies, my Harry Potter things.
Frédérique Godan August 8, 2017 Halifax, NS

The airport doors opened and oh my God, the breeze of air, the cold breeze, it felt like it pierced through my body like I was like, oh my God, I’m not even wearing anything like for suitable for this, this climate and I came right back in and just sat down, I was very cold, I was, I was, like I wasn’t prepared, like I wish I would have brought like something, something warm with me, but I wasn’t really resourceful in Afghanistan either.

What I remember most about the trip is the dolphins following the ship, there was so many of them. One day I was on deck looking over the side when one the ship crew who was on the bow called over to me. The area was roped off, but he said it was ok to come and see. You could see all the dolphins missing the bow by inches, maybe leading our ship not following us to the new land, I wondered what was waiting for us on the other side.

The door was opening and like I was curious, like let me breathe the air from Canada, okay and I feel like, hmm yeah the sky is blue, you know and the air is so fresh, I feel okay, you know, I’m in Canada now, it’s different.

After 12 days of just being sea sick, losing weight on my already frail frame, we pulled into Halifax, January 1957. The army cadet band greeted us. We were then ushered into the immigration building to be examined by doctors. We watched TV and ate corn flakes for the first time without milk as one would eat potato chips. My parents were very enthusiastic, full of life, and had plans for the future.

When my father escaped to Canada during WWII, his 9 year old sister became lost. The situation was dire and they could not turn back to look for her. All they could do was cry and pray that a kind family would help her. Two weeks later, a man who was asking them to share their meagre food told them of a young girl in the yard with newspaper wrapped around her shoes. It was my dad’s sister. Needless to say, all were joyful to share supper that night…and many since.
Roxy

R.M.S. Ascania, December 1947. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Passengers on board the S.S. Conte Biancamano, August 1954. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

When we passed customs and boarded the train they gave us two loafs of bread. Not knowing what it was I used it to play accordion as it was soft and flexible..

I'm proud of my new country Canada, because of the culture, diversity positive people; it feels like home away from home. Some things that I appreciated about Canada were that Canadians stand up for what’s right and they work hard to keep the environment clean and safe. They’re also friendly and will do anything to help each other and the stores open early rather than at one in the afternoon. Now that I think about it, I feel very happy and grateful to live in Canada. Canada feels like home.

Image courtesy of Rina Caron.

M.S. Saturnia, April 1959. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

I moved to Canada when I was two years old. We came from the Netherlands - the memories I have are sitting in the airport in Toronto and refusing to move, and the mud in our new home in Fox Creek, Alberta

The sights and sounds of Pier 21 will remain with me forever. I felt closer to my parents and grandmother than ever before because I was able to share in this memorable experience. This was truly a great day for Canada and for me. Thanks Pier 21!

Canada allowed me to become a Canadian Citizen, gifted me a future, one of freedom of speech and religion, the opportunity to make choices, allowing me to determine my future! I am eternally grateful to Canada for all of these gifts and privileges!

I thank God many times for bringing us to Canada.

Doppenberg family on board the S.S. Ryndam, 1960. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

S.S. Queen Frederica, March 1958. Image courtesy of the Brana family.

I give thanks for Canada because Canada helped me and family to start life again and also thanks to everyone who helped the Syrian people to stop bloodshed. I hope with all my heart to live in Canada lasting peace and getting stronger ever time.
Mohammad October 13, 2016

I love being a Canadian. The greatest thing is not having to live in fear. I had no money but I had everything because I had peace. This wasn’t so with everyone. Some of my friends cried, cursed, etc., because they were homesick or had hard employers. Some even ran away.

With all the hardships we went trough, my parents never complained. Every year got better and better. Canada is a great country. We all love our new homeland, its people and open spaces. From the seven people that arrived on Pier 21 on May 15th, 1951, we are now 57 proud Canadians. Thank You Canada!!!

...Before boarding the train, my mother went to a nearby convenience store to purchase some food.

We have had a wonderful life in this country. My brothers and sisters join me in saying, Thank you Canada - definitely the land of opportunity! and God bless the staff at Pier 21 for making sure we, as a family

My brother still talks about the wonderful soft white bread buns that were served – they were so delicious.

I believe that Canada has given us the opportunity to become something meaningful of ourselves and contribute to the success of the community and to the Great country of Canada.

I am a black Jamaican – Canadian. I had a Teacher’s diploma & a B.A. from a Canadian university. An immigration officer in Toronto told me to seek a job as a domestic, as I would never get one as a teacher. I laughed at him. I did work happily in my profession for 32 years. I have 3 medals for community contributions, plus numerous awards. Thanks, Canada. P.S. I arrived in 1965.

Red Cross, 1963. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

With all the hardships we went trough, my parents never complained. Every year got better and better. Canada is a great country. We all love our new homeland, its people and open spaces.

I moved to Canada when I was 16 (2010) It was hard at first, but people here are nice. I am now Canadian citizen. Thank ü Canada. HaHaHa...

My first feelings about Canada, Halifax and the new world, were a mixture of confusion, terror and curiosity. While on board the Britannic waiting to dock I became aware of the requirement that upon arrival we were to be taken to a "hall". To my Hungarian ears that notion sounded unusual. You see in Hungarian, "Hal" with one "L" means "fish", so I imagined that we were all to be taken into a giant fish! And the smells upon arrival at Halifax did not do much to convince me otherwise.

It was all done within the course of a flight and the 30 minutes in the airport. That was it. And that was me, at that point, a permanent resident of Canada and it was like: wow! This is, this is it! I’m free to work, I’m free to do anything here. So, no, there was nothing to hold me back.

Hungarian Refugees at Dorval Airport, Montreal, QC, November 1956. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

As time passed we came to grow in this land, and, if the truth be known, the land came to grow in us. Wy binne gelokkich (we are blessed).

…In the spring of 1947 we bought our first house; a two storey log house in Bear Creek.

The year was 1953 as the ship pulled away from the docks of Naples. Leaving family, friends and possessions; Vincenzo Armenti said goodbye to his homeland. He also left behind memories of unemployment and destitution in a country still suffering from a devastating war. He set out for Canada in hopes of finding prosperity with a chance to work and earn money so his family could have a better life other than the certain poverty they faced in Italy.

...They went to buy bread. No one was able to speak English, and the store owner didn¹t speak Italian.

The second I land at the airport as overseas student, my gosh, that feeling was so great that I actually, you know, I was, I couldn’t stop smiling. It sounds weird, but I couldn’t stop smiling. Yeah, ‘cause it’s just hope and excitement and change.

To Canada, we are also grateful, for allowing us the opportunity to become part of this great nation; for accepting us for what we were and for allowing us to become what we are, proud Canadians.

Coming to Canada was the best thing that could have happened to me. Thank You Canada! for the opportunity and the many favours along the way.

My mother decided that our first meal would simply be wieners and mashed potatoes, since, indeed, we had problems locating ingredients for a fancier meal. The wieners seemed rather short, and when we got home and boiled them, we also discovered that they were neither as tasty nor as firm as Danish wieners. However, our greatest disappointment was with the mustard, which looked exactly like European mustard, but which was probably the worst brand of mustard that we had ever encountered. In fact, we were totally baffled by its taste and consistency, and the beastly stuff certainly didn’t go very well with the wieners either. As we were later to discover, that was our first introduction to peanut butter.

Heidi Hart on board the S.S. Beaverbrae, March 1949. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Greek Hellenic youth, 1949. Image courtesy of the Delefes family.

Bottos family with group on board the S.S. Conte Biancamano, August 1953. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Wartime bread was grey and heavy and tasted like cardboard. Everything here was delicious.

...Eventually the Customs and Immigration people were done processing us and we were free to leave the area.

Having been brought up with hard crusty bread we found the loaf we bought extremely soft with a strange smell that has remained with us ever since. We never ate that bread nor have we ever consumed that bread since our settling in Canada...

I am so happy to live in Canada, in Halifax, Thank you!

In 1948, over sixty years ago, Canadian representatives of the Immigration and Employment Department came to Malta to select young tradesmen to immigrate to Canada. I, Lewis Borg, was one of the 500 select to immigrate.

My advice would be…Stay warm in the winter. Stop in at a Tim Horton. Try moose meat at least once. And keep smiling.

We were lead to other tables and received our fist nourishment on Canadian soil. Many were still seasick and the texture of the nourishment did not help. Compared to European wieners, the hot dogs were tasteless and the mustard too sweet. Along with the hot dog came a slice of white, square pieces of tasteless sponge. All of us, used to European rye bread or white rolls, did not recognize it as a standard Canadian bread.

I was born in Denmark (1931) and raised in Jylland. As a teen-ager I was endowed with an adventurous spirit; as I read stories of pioneering in Canada, I determined that I would someday emigrate to that country.

My father and his friends built our first house in 1953.

…In early March, 1970, I attended a meeting on co-op housing in Sackville, and came home a member of a Co-op shortly after that, we were assigned a building lot, allocated $14,000, and we were on our own.

...On the train they served us fresh wonder bread, today its beautiful in 1954 I took a slice squeezed it and said look mom it's not cooked.

The light of the bright moon illuminated the cemetery walls. At this point my eyes were dimmed with tears. I kissed my son on the forehead and I whispered. Son, I promise you that in Canada I’ll do my best to help my family. I’ll work hard to bring a piece of bread to our table and some day, we’ll have our own home.

Evacuee children on board the S.S. Duchess of Bedford, 1939. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Ukrainian family on board the R.M.S. Aquitania, December 1947. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

One thing I can smell even today was the Wonder Sliced Bread

...I know it was hard for most of us coming from a strictly rationed country to adjust to all that lovely Canadian food.

It was the Canadian Red Cross that came to our aid when our house in London was bomb damaged during the war. I was 11 years of age and vividly remember the boxes of clothing and food they delivered to our door. I promised myself that I would go to Canada one day.

My grandparents immigrated to Canada in ’56 from Hungary. It was during the Hungarian Revolution, and the fled with the clothes on their backs. They built a family here with many happy times.

It is okay to cry. Missing home is normal. You’re a very strong individual. Remember that change doesn’t happen over night.
Matt Evans Halifax, NS

We immigrated to Canada about a year ago and our first impression of the Canadians was how friendly and welcoming they treated us! Canada is such a great country and we are glad being part of it. Laura & Jan

You imagine how, how it’s going to look, the land. You start looking from the window of the airplane, see a big land, you say for sure I’m going to fit somewhere in this

...For our train trip, we were given ten dollars per person to get us to our destination, enough to buy that pure soft cottony white bread we had never seen before.