-
“We’ll Meet Again”: The Gracie Fields Story …
-
Bill One day, a letter simply addressed to “Pier 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia,” arrived on my desk. The first line read, “I don’t know if anyone is ever going to read this.” In his letter, Bill Pineo described the experience of being a young soldier in 1940, waiting for his ship to depart from Pier 21 …
-
I don’t know if it was love at first sight, but when a 6-year-old named Muriel met an 8-year-old named Bud, something special started. The pair, who have now been married for 61 years, recently visited the Museum. In all those years they have never exchanged material gifts; they have always done …
-
A young Martin Christensen (left), a young Catherine Christensen (right). We hear innumerable stories about seasickness from our Museum visitors who crossed the Atlantic and first arrived at Pier 21. They all laugh about it now, but frequently add that they haven’t been on a ship since and have no …
-
Pier 21 today, as it was in years past, is a building. For visitors past and present, some find this site unmoving. They give little thought to what the walls and their surroundings have seen. For others, the site is precious and represents a new beginning in a country that they love. These …
-
by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 26, 2020) Introduction V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, May 8, 1945, marked not only the beginning of the return home from Europe for Canadian military personnel, but also a new period in immigration to Canada. During the war, immigration had slowed almost …
-
by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated September 28, 2020) Introduction: Adolescent Impressions of Immigrating to Canada An often overlooked aspect of Pier 21’s site history is the immigration experience of children. Young newcomers are frequently mentioned in relation to the immigration process and …
-
by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 23, 2020) Introduction How do I find a passenger list? Is there a ledger? What if my ancestor came from a country that no longer exists? While the Scotiabank Family History Centre at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 does not hold copies of …
-
by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 20, 2020) Introduction For centuries, child orphans have sought permanent resettlement in Canada. Refugee orphans seeking to enter Canada today must hold legal documentation and provide testimony to a federal immigration official that he or she is a …
-
by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 9, 2020) In May 2015, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 opened new exhibitions on the history of the Pier 21 National Historic Site of Canada and the history of immigration to Canada. This blog is based on research that informs new displays …