Trans-Atlantic Wives Club, 1947. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

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

I once said "Mom, you were so brave to come to Canada as a war bride." "No", she replied, "Not 'brave' darling...just stupid.

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

I hungrily bit into the slice that was offered and I got the first shock in this new country

It was a nervous and exciting experience to enter the new world with lots of hopes and countless confusions. The confusion was how will this country be for us, is it worth leaving everything back, the settled life, luxury and employment to face an unknown world of no one known to us. Going through rigorous immigration procedures and exploring the city to get the PR card, SIN card, opening bank accounts, housing and schooling relying on the internet and immigration flyers was an amazing experience, the smooth completion of all these procedures made us understand that Canada is no more a land of unknown. We are a diverse family here living in harmony. People here are very warm and friendly offering every help they could. Government trying its best for quick settlement of immigrants and strengthening the ties of humanity is highly commendable. Now we feel we are in the land of our own.

One of my funniest memories," Bette continued, "was the day we landed at Halifax. We were so eager to get off the boat but they told us that the train had already left. When we finally departed, every time the train stopped we all jumped off and mailed letters to our husbands to let them know we were coming. We thought the letter would arrive the next day same as in Britain! We had no idea.

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. From the seven people that arrived on Pier 21 on May 15th, 1951, we are now 57 proud Canadians. Thank You Canada!!!

I felt like a small grain of sand washed up on the shores, with many thousands of others. Many had stories, similar to mine, coming for refuge and with high hopes, to Canada. Fortunately my story has a happy ending.

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.

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

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

…In 1966 we bought our first house in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto

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

I came to Canada to visit my uncle and it didn't take me long to fall in love with this great Nation after stepping off the airport. The air, the environment, the people, the culture and the lively vibe of the city, things I have never experienced before.

…Our first house was near Botanical Gardens so guess where we went for walks on Sunday afternoons?

Bring your open spirit, love of life and tolerance of all peoples. Share your culture, history and story to enrich Canadian fabric and society.
Stephen Cheng, Toronto via Montreal and Taiwan, Halifax, NS

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

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

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.

I arrived in Canada on July 1st, on Canada Day and it was very, very meaningful. In South America, we believe in signs and for me was a good sign that, that everything was going to be okay.

I came to Canada from Brazil when I was 5 years old. I remember I had to leave all my xmas gifts and friends behind in Rio. It was very hard. Also, we arrived in winter and found it hard to breath the cold air. I had to teach myself how to inhale short breaths to be able to take in the cold!

Your anthem dearest Canada we sing with pride and thanks
From the heart of all the immigrants who landed on your banks.
Our family came aboard the ship they call the Volendam
In nineteen hundred fifty one, a Canadian to become.

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...

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.

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.

...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.

Schultz family on board the S.S. Fairsea, 4 Dec 1951. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

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

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

We had our first corn flakes and potatoes with the skin on (my mother always peeled the potatoes). Bacon and eggs, Canadian style, went down very well. My mother insisted we eat all the food, to show our appreciation.

Baltic refugees on board the Parnu. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

I immigrated with my family (my dad, mom, and two brothers), we all were thrilled and amazed by the green beautiful nature of Halifax upon the landing of the plane. It was the best day of our lives, our reasons for immigrating were many but mostly, a home! We were looking for a place to settle in a safe, friendly and peaceful place to call home, I'm glad that place was Canada for us.

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 have no recollection of the trip over, but one bit of definite feedback I got years to come was of the Cotton Bread (Pumpulileipa), as a reference to the unbelievably fluty texture of the white Canadian bread.

Doris Peter, Margaret Burt, and others in Toronto, 1940. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

I would bring my family because they mean a lot to me.
Destiny Bercier Moose Jaw, SK

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.

We are grateful and thankful that we immigrated to Canada. If we had stayed in post-war Europe, none of us would have had the opportunities that Canada offered. As soon as it was legally possible, we became Canadians. Canada became our country and we love Canada.

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

...At first the soft white sliced bread tasted like cake to me

...I remember the first time I had Canadian bread. I rolled it up and tried to bounce it.

"...We loved the taste of Canadian white bread, sliced at that! It tasted like cake to us and it was the first of many pleasant surprises..."

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).

It takes a lot of humility. I invite you to find refuge in love, and share who you are. Welcome!

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

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.

We took one bit and gagged - SALTED BUTTER!

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

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

Canada was part of our greatest journey on this earth, being welcomed in this land gave us the freedom to shape us into individuals that have contributed much, and so therefore, the sacrifice of leaving our native land, facing many trials and overcoming many hurdles, says it all for us and our posterity.

Heads or tails" father said as he balanced the coin on his fingertips. "Tails", mother said without hesitation. The coin flipping ceremony was decided upon after many hours of heated discussion, ending in a stalemate. They had agreed to emigrate, the choice was between Australia and Canada. Mother opted for the former because her sister had emigrated to Free mantle in the late thirties. She married an Aussie soon after her arrival; her letters were filled with glowing commentaries of life down under. Father, on the other hand, had relatives in Canada, who also wrote urging him to take advantage of the many opportunities waiting in Canada. They agreed to let the coin decide.

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

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

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

...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.

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 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…

I never found those gold nuggets, however, Canada gave me more than gold. A place where freedom surpasses ones’ wildest dreams, where you can look at yourself in the mirror and be thankful for what you have accomplished. This is an immeasurable country, full of opportunities. God Bless this land. In 1955, I crossed the Atlantic Ocean, landed at Pier 21 with a small suitcase, a one way train ticket west and $50 bucks in my pocket. Canada is home, what more can I say "O’ CANADA" thank you.

I came to Canada 4 months ago: when arrived to Canada I was scared. Specialy when I heard about the snow, but now I found is nice & comfortable Country. I am happy to live in Canada.
JW Edmonton, AB

Red Cross nurses during the Second World War. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

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.

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.

I look back on how Canada has changed me and my values. I think the hardest part of emigrating was changing the way I believed things should be done. I was brought up to understand that the British knew how to do things correctly.

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.

Thank-You Canada for making this Beautiful country my Home for me and my beautiful family. And Thank You for making it all possible

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

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

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.

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

I thank God for Canada and the life my family has enjoyed here. It has been a terrific country to grow up in and to live. There's no place on earth I'd rather live.

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

At that time we had 3 choices for immigration: Australia, South Africa and Canada. We decided on Canada because it was closer and a return trip to Germany would have been less expensive. It also seemed more interesting than the other two countries.

Estonian refugees, date unknown. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

The bread was soft and spongy and packed in wax paper, the butter was all salty, there was only soft process cheese, instead of smoked and cured hard sausage they only had what they called baloney and peanut butter, and many other novelties that we didn't even understand. Welcome to Canada..

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.

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..

We have had our share of sorrows, but also lots of joy. Life has been wonderful here in this marvelous country. I am thankful and grateful that I have had the opportunity to live here. Canada, in my opinion, the greatest country and the most generous, fine people to be found.

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

In 1963 we bought our first house in West Vancouver