Zbigniew and Stefania Sauter

Pier 21 holds some very special memories in my heart - here is the abbreviated version of my story:

The outbreak of WWII forever changed my family's happy and peaceful lives in our beloved country Poland. Overnight our dreams were shattered as my father, just 43 years old, was killed in the battle for Warsaw. We also lost our home and all our belongings and, worst of all, we lost our precious freedom. My family was separated and we never again had the chance to be together. I spent five dreadful war years in my country, living each day in a state of constant fear and uncertainty.

Shortly before the war ended, I found myself in Germany against my will. The end of the war didn't bring freedom to my country as I had imagined it would. I chose to wait for a while before deciding what was next for me and I joined a Polish refugee camp for the meantime. It was at this camp that I met the man I would marry. His name was Zbigniew Sauter and he was originally from Warsaw. Having recently been liberated from political prison, he showed up in the camp one day.

A few months later he and I were married in a small chapel at the camp. Together we decided that returning to our country, given the circumstances at the time, was not the right decision, and that emigration would be the answer for us. After waiting for three long, restless years, our dream became a reality when Canada opened up its' doors to us and countless other refugees like us. Relieved and full of hope, we left Germany from Bremenhofen on the US Marine Shark on June 9th 1948 and arrived in Halifax at Pier 21 on June 19th. Our next destination, by train, was beautiful Montréal.

Upon arriving in Montréal, we started our peaceful new life, finally free and able to buy any food items we desired, as well as clothing, household appliances, and furniture. Soon we were blessed with a son, Andrew, who was closely followed by another wonderful son, Charles. Thankfully, our boys were fortunate enough to get an education, and they both ended up graduating from Montréal's Sir George Williams University with degrees in Engineering.Today, both of my sons are leading happy and professionally successful lives in Toronto.

The one painful point in our lives was the sudden death of my husband Zbigniew on November 26th 1967. At the age of just 56, he suffered a massive heart attack, a tragedy that took an enormous toll on our family. In the face of this great sorrow, my sons and I had to be strong, and we made it through the tough times by leaning on each other for support.

After fifty years spent in Montréal and having retired from my job at the Hudson's Bay Company, I moved to Ajax, Ontario, in order to be closer to my sons. Thankful for the privilege I've been given to survive the difficult times, right now I'm living a quiet and peaceful life. I am also getting much satisfaction from seeing all that my sons have accomplished for themselves and for their children. I will always be grateful to Canada for her generosity and for the wonderful gift of freedom.

Stefania Sauter