Pier 21 and the brave who checked in there
Today, it operates as a national museum of immigration, but in its heyday, Halifax’s Pier 21 was Canada’s ocean gateway, welcoming more than a million new immigrants and refugees to our shores. (For my American readers, Pier 21 was our Ellis Island from 1928 to 1971.)
While I’ve walked through the museum’s collections and exhibits, I, like one in five Canadians, also share a personal connection to Pier 21. In October 1941, my grandfather, along with his fellow Royal Canadian Air Force servicemen, other military personnel and plenty of frozen mutton, shipped out of Halifax on the HMT Mataroa to support our allies.
Years later, my British grandmother was one of nearly 50,000 war brides who sailed to Canada for fresh starts with colonial hubbies they met during the Second World War. I believe Mom-mom arrived on Cunard’s RMS Mauretania, before she passed through the doors of Pier 21’s immigration shed.
Pier 21 marked a transition point for so many. I can only imagine the sweaty palms, churning tummies, racing thoughts and pounding heartbeats of the women, men and children as they pursued new beginnings.
But, pursue they did. Some summoned the courage to sail off to defend our freedom. Some risked fleeing war-torn homes to seek shelter here. And love-struck war brides left behind overseas family and friends to build another life here in Canada.
In doing so, these new arrivals reshaped our country. They shifted our multicultural mix, introduced new traditions, and contributed to our population growth through immigration numbers and by getting busy to spark the baby boom.
For all these reasons, we should be forever grateful.
While I’ve walked through the museum’s collections and exhibits, I, like one in five Canadians, also share a personal connection to Pier 21. In October 1941, my grandfather, along with his fellow Royal Canadian Air Force servicemen, other military personnel and plenty of frozen mutton, shipped out of Halifax on the HMT Mataroa to support our allies.
Years later, my British grandmother was one of nearly 50,000 war brides who sailed to Canada for fresh starts with colonial hubbies they met during the Second World War. I believe Mom-mom arrived on Cunard’s RMS Mauretania, before she passed through the doors of Pier 21’s immigration shed.
Pier 21 marked a transition point for so many. I can only imagine the sweaty palms, churning tummies, racing thoughts and pounding heartbeats of the women, men and children as they pursued new beginnings.
But, pursue they did. Some summoned the courage to sail off to defend our freedom. Some risked fleeing war-torn homes to seek shelter here. And love-struck war brides left behind overseas family and friends to build another life here in Canada.
In doing so, these new arrivals reshaped our country. They shifted our multicultural mix, introduced new traditions, and contributed to our population growth through immigration numbers and by getting busy to spark the baby boom.
For all these reasons, we should be forever grateful.
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