Margaret Van Toen

Let's Pier into the Past
by Joy Forbes & Helen Weeden

Pages 8-12 only based on mom's story - Margaret Van Toen.

MRS. GOLDBLOOM
Now, let's head over to the Resource Centre where you can look up more information about your own family's trip. There are all kinds of documents to browse through, with such things as passenger lists. The staff there will be able to help you.

The students leave via stage left. Meanwhile on the other side of stage, an official points towards the Immigration area to where another Immigration Officer is seated.

IMMIGRATION OFFICER #3
Yes, yes, that's right, over there.

The immigrants shuffle over to form a very long line. Several volunteers from the Catholic Women's League are handing out to the immigrants cloth "ditty bags". These contain cigarettes, soap, jelly powder, razor blades, a toothbrush, baby bottle and small individual boxes of Cornflakes. A volunteer from the Canadian Bible Society is busy handing out Bibles. A Red Cross Volunteer enters from upstage left pushing a small wobbly cart to centre stage. On the cart is a pot of hot water, a box of tea bags with strings, a can of Carnation milk, a pile of several blue enamel cups, and a plate of Arrowroot biscuits. The Red Cross Volunteer stops beside a young, smartly dressed English woman who is sitting on the front bench. She is wearing a wool tweed coat with scarve and gloves resting on the bench beside her.

RED CROSS VOLUNTEER
Since you have to wait so long, and it is quite damp out today, this should help. (She plunks a teabag in a cup, pours water over it, and offers the "tea" to the English woman).

Several properly freshly attired, enlisted uniformed soldiers enter stage left as they sing a snappy marching war tune, "What Do You Do Now In The Infantry?" by Frank Loesser (played by a small orchestra) as they march past the immigrants and onto the ship.

RED CROSS VOLUNTEER
Are you a War Bride?

ENGLISH WOMAN
No, (laughs) I'm a "DRUID"

The volunteer has a puzzled look on her face.

RED CROSS VOLUNTEER
I'm fairly new at this. What do you mean, a Druid?

ENGLISH WOMAN
George Drew, Premier of Ontario, recruited seven thousand English people to come and live in Ontario. I'm joining my husband who is already here in Toronto. He's English as well and after serving with the R.A.F. he was given a R.C.A.F. flight over.

RED CROSS VOLUNTEER
So you've both come to start a new life?

ENGLISH WOMAN
Yes, it was a rough trip. I traveled on the Aquitania, it was very crowded. I think that saying "you must all be in the same boat" suits very well.

The Red Cross Volunteer chuckles.

ENGLISH WOMAN
But we are grateful for the chance of a new start. The War has left Britain in very bad shape- no work and there's still partial rationing. We only hope we are prepared enough for life in Canada. We've done thorough research about Canada's climate and customs - unlike these young ladies.

Several chattering young women and a few toddlers all wearing very light jackets are assisted by volunteers from the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). The volunteers are helping other women some of who are young mothers, by carrying their babies. They also aid people purchasing tickets from CNR, exchanging money, and buying food for their journey. Faint sounds of steam trains arriving and departing from the station are heard off stage.

YWCA VOLUNTEER
The trains for Montreal are this way. Many of you will need to make other connections for further destinations beyond Montreal. Now if you are bound for towns in Nova Scotia or other Maritime provinces, take those trains over there.

The choir and more British women descend the ramp singing the "War Brides song", which was composed by War Brides aboard The Lady Rodney. Some of these women have a silver horseshoe attached to their handbags.

WAR BRIDES
Oh! The drums bang and the symbols clang, And the war brides lead the way.
It's forward into Canada, you can hear them say, We all hail from a mighty country, To a lovely one we go, To our dear Canadian husbands, The "smashers" we used to know.
We left the town of Southampton,
On the 15th day of May.
Then upon the Rodney, we were all feeling gay, We left the shores of Blightly in the afternoon that day, And some of the girls were crying, Hurrah, we're on our way!
We're feeling fine - that's a very good sign, Our spirits rule the day, To us it's simply home from home The old Canadian way.
Where ere we go from east to west,
We want you all to know,
We'll make the best Canadians,
No matter where we go.
At the end of the song some are overheard as they talk about the places in Canada that there are about to go to.