Topic: Immigration Facilities

Pier 21’s immigration quarters included “accommodation” for people who were delayed due to minor issues, and “detention” for people held for security reasons. Windows with bars or mesh prevented escape, and although some people were free to leave during the day, significant security risks had stricter rules. Recreation areas, airing galleries and dining facilities were available, and matrons were responsible for immigrants’ welfare. After Pier 21’s closure, hotels and jails were used in replacement.

During Pier 21’s years of operation, Canada placed a high priority on medical screening of immigrants. Pier 21 was one of the few Canadian immigration facilities that integrated medical treatment areas and immigration accommodations. Although many immigrants obtained medical examinations overseas to relieve the burden on Pier 21’s medical officers, the facilities in Halifax included both a clinic and hospital. Pier 21’s medical infrastructure underwent constant renewal and renovation and policies and technologies changed.

By 1850, the Port of Quebec handled two-thirds of European immigration to British North America. Transatlantic passenger traffic increased due to Quebec City’s geographic proximity to Europe. Accordingly, the Quebec Harbour Commission improved port infrastructure with the construction of the Bassin Louise and the Princess Louise docks, and expanded immigration facilities further improving the reception of immigrants. During the First World War, the Port of Quebec was an embarkation point for soldiers heading to Europe.

During the 1920s, the Port of Quebec remained a major point of entry for immigrants to Canada. To better accommodate immigrants, Canadian officials improved the appearance and sanitary conditions of the immigration facilities. A 1925 earthquake and 1927 fire forced the Quebec Harbour Commission to reconstruct site infrastructure, but the subsequent development of the l’Anse-au-Foulon Terminals and its gare maritime, for future transatlantic passenger traffic, would result in the relocation of immigration operations.

In the 1880s, Saint John became a strategic port for shipping and transportation interests. In 1931, a fire destroyed the port’s outdated immigration facilities resulting in the rerouting of transatlantic passenger traffic to Halifax. By 1950, a new facility opened to process immigrants, but technological advances in aviation and the establishment of the Saint John Airport in 1952, soon diminished the port’s role as an important point of entry for immigrants into Canada.

Victoria’s immigration facilities reflect the unique situation of the city in the early history of British Columbia, the surprising clout of public health officials, and intergovernmental conflict and cooperation. Victoria’s immigration facilities were eventually marginalized as Vancouver became a key port of entry in the 1920s. The facilities closed in 1958, and were demolished in 1978.

Before Pier 21 opened in 1928, many people who arrived by sea in Halifax came through Pier 2. The city’s early immigration facilities steadily improved from the 1890s through the 1910s, following the steady rise in immigration to Canada. In 1915, a large and modern immigration facility opened at Pier 2, just in time to serve as a key embarkation point for Canada’s war effort. Immigration moved from Pier 2 to Pier 21 in 1928.