• More than a Building
    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 …
  • Postwar Immigration through Pier 21
    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 …
  • Eminently Suitable for Our Purposes: Official Commemoration of Immigrant Arrivals in Canada, 1949-1972
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 26, 2020) Introduction During the early postwar period, Canadian officials attempted to commemorate immigration milestones. These official commemorations were in response to postwar immigration policies that had opened Canada’s doors to tens of …
  • Children of the Pier: Adolescent Experiences of Arrival and Process
    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 …
  • Customs and the Seizure of Goods at Pier 21
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 15, 2020) Introduction: Canadian Customs before and after the Second World War 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 …
  • "Might Be the Best of the Lot": Baltic Refugees, Canadian Immigration Policy and the Arrival of SS Walnut
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 14, 2020) Introduction Since Confederation, Canadian immigration officials have considered many factors in determining whether an individual was ‘admissible’ and would be granted entry to Canada. The arrival in Canada of SS Walnut from Sweden in …
  • Port of Entry, Process and Gatekeepers – A History of Immigration at the Port of Quebec during the Great Depression
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 14, 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 at the end of June will unveil a new exhibition on the history of immigration to Canada. This …
  • Borders, Groups, Statistics: Researching Immigrant Arrival at Pier 21
    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 …
  • Resettling Child Refugees: Canada and Armenian Orphans, 1923-1927
    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 …
  • Jamaican Nova Scotian Connections: From the Maroons to the Present Day
    February 4 to October 30, 2020 A Community Presents Exhibit by the Jamaican Cultural Association of Nova Scotia explores the growth and contributions of the oldest Jamaican community in Canada, from the migration of the Maroons in the 18th century until the present day. … Jamaican Nova Scotian …