Peter and Carolyn Matthews

THE LAST IMMIGRANTS TO GO THROUGH PIER 21.

Peter and I arrived at Pier 21 on the 21st June 1971, with our 5 year old son and our 6th month old second son. The baby fell asleep as we approached the entrance to Halifax harbour, and I refused to disembark until he woke up, as he was overtired and needed his sleep. So we waited. Everyone had long left the vessel and Peter had loaded all our things into our taxi and was getting understandably concerned as he waited on the dockside. But the baby slept on. When our youngest finally awoke, I pushed his buggy down the gangplank, thereby being the last immigrant to leave the very last immigrant-bearing vessel that docked at Pier 21. We did not know at that time that we were making local history.