Topic: Museums and Heritage Institutions

  • What Would You Do? Admit, Detain, or Deny Entry to Irregular Refugees on Canada’s East Coast

    Canadian immigration officials consider many factors in determining whether an individual is admissible and can be granted entry to Canada. The arrival of Tamil asylum seekers in Newfoundland in August 1986 is one case that illustrates how legislation and the processing of newcomers to Canada is influenced by several factors, including the Immigration Act, regulations and procedures, local discretion of immigration officials, public opinion, and an individual’s desire to immigrate.

  • "Why Do We Need a Museum of Immigration?"

    Manager of Research Monica MacDonald suggests that current debates on immigration are best informed by the historical contexts of immigration as well as the contemporary experiences of newcomers.

  • Locating Authorities: Public Expertise, Heritage Institutions and the Recent Past

    Historian Steven Schwinghamer maintains that public expertise operates in historic sites, including Pier 21, in deep and important ways, whether it is engaged by the institution or not. Creating an open exchange between visitors and the institution will enable the institution to learn from their visitors’ organic knowledge of the past.