Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 facts for kids
Entrance to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in 2010.
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| Established | 1999 |
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| Location | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Type | Immigration Museum |
| Owner | Pier 21 Society (1999–2011) Government of Canada (2011–present) |
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (French: Musée canadien de l'immigration du Quai 21) is Canada's national museum about immigration. It is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The museum is inside part of Pier 21, which was once a busy place for ships and immigrants. From 1928 to 1971, many people arrived in Canada through Pier 21.
Pier 21 is the last building of its kind in Canada that was used for ocean immigration. It is often compared to Ellis Island in the United States. Ellis Island was another very important place for immigrants. The museum started in 1999 as a group called the Pier 21 Society. In 2011, it became a national museum run by the Canadian government.
Contents
History of Pier 21 and the Museum
The museum is in the old Pier 21 building. This building was made in 1928 in Halifax. Pier 21 was very important during World War II. It was also a main entry point for immigrants after the war, in the 1940s and 1950s.
Pier 21 stopped being an immigration terminal in 1971. After that, it was used for different things. From the 1970s to 1991, it was a school for sailors. In the 1990s, artists used the old immigration rooms as studios. The pier itself became a place for cruise ships. In 1997, Pier 21 was named a National Historic Site of Canada.
How the Pier 21 Society Started the Museum
In 1985, a group called the Pier 21 Society was created by J.P. LeBlanc. Their goal was to raise money and get people interested in the old building again. It was the last building like it in Canada.
Ruth Goldbloom became the group's president in 1993. She helped quickly turn the site into a National Historic Site and a museum. The museum opened on Canada Day in 1999. It was ready to celebrate the 1.5 million immigrants who came through its doors.
Becoming a National Museum
In 2009, the Government of Canada and other groups decided to work together. They wanted to make Pier 21 a new national museum. On June 25, 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced this plan.
Later that year, Pier 21 was part of the CBC's "Seven Wonders of Canada" TV show. On February 7, 2011, Pier 21 officially became Canada's sixth national museum. It was only the second national museum outside of Canada's capital city.
What You Can See: Permanent Exhibitions
The museum has different areas to explore. These areas tell the stories of immigration to Canada.
The Pier 21 Story Exhibition
This exhibition shows what it was like to arrive at Pier 21. It covers the years between 1928 and 1971. Visitors can open special trunks that look like children's luggage. They can see what five immigrant children might have brought with them.
You can also walk through a copy of a "colonist train car." These were special train cars that new immigrants used. They would travel to the next part of their journey in Canada. You can even dress up like the staff and volunteers who worked at Pier 21.
Sections in The Pier 21 Story
- Before Pier 21
- Why Halifax
- A Gateway to Canada
- The Transatlantic Voyage
- The Cabin
- Arrival
- Medical Facilities - Canadian Immigration Hospital
- What Pier 21 Means to Me
- Assembly Hall
- Bronfman Theatre
- Colonist Car
- Major Immigration Waves
- Pier 21 Memories Album
- People of the Pier
Canadian Immigration Hall
The Canadian Immigration Hall tells the story of 400 years of immigration to Canada. It starts with the first meetings with First Nations people. It continues up to today.
A special map shows how people have moved across Canada over time. The BMO Oral History Gallery has almost 200 recorded stories. Visitors can listen to these stories from immigrants. This exhibit has four main parts: Journey, Arrival, Belonging, and Impact.
Temporary Exhibitions
The museum also hosts special exhibits for a limited time. For example, "Empress of Ireland: Canada's Titanic" was a temporary exhibit. It told the story of the RMS Empress of Ireland ship. This ship sank in 1914 after hitting another ship.
Walls of Honour
The museum has special walls that honour different groups of people.
Wall of Service
The Wall of Service remembers Pier 21 as a place where over 500,000 Canadians left for the Second World War. It honours soldiers, sailors, air force members, and war brides. It also recognizes people who worked at Pier 21. You can buy a brick for someone to be displayed here.
The Sobey Wall of Honour
The Sobey Wall of Honour celebrates people who chose Canada as their home. These people helped build Canada into the nation it is today. You can buy a brick for someone to be displayed at the museum's entrance.
Wadih M. Fares Wall of Tribute
The Wadih M. Fares Wall of Tribute honours community and cultural groups. These groups have a special connection to Pier 21 and immigration to Canada. Groups can buy bricks to be displayed in the Hall of Tribute. The wall is named after Wadih M. Fares, an immigrant from Lebanon.
Museum Collections
The museum collects many items and stories. It has physical objects and a large collection of recorded oral histories. Pier 21 has about 2,000 stories and 500 recorded interviews. It also has books, films, and thousands of old photos. Many of these can be found on the museum's website. You can also contact the Scotiabank Family History Centre to see them.
The museum collects stories from all parts of Canada's history. This includes stories from First Nations people. They are also collecting stories from people who arrived after 1971. These stories will help create future exhibits.
The museum's team records interviews with people. These interviews are very important for keeping and sharing Canadian stories. The image collection includes old newspaper clippings and ship items. It also has digital photos from families and groups.
MS St. Louis Memorial
On January 20, 2011, a special sculpture was put on display at Pier 21. It is called the "Wheel of Conscience." This memorial remembers the German ship MS St. Louis. In 1939, over 900 Jewish passengers were on this ship. They were trying to escape the early parts of the Holocaust. Many North American ports turned them away. A quarter of these passengers were later killed in the Holocaust.
The memorial is a shiny steel wheel. It has four smaller gears inside it. These gears represent the reasons the refugees were turned away: antisemitism, xenophobia, racism, and hatred. On the back of the memorial, there is a list of all the passengers from the MS St. Louis.
Programs and Services
The museum offers many programs and services for visitors.
Researching Your Family History
The Scotiabank Family History Centre (SFHC) is on the museum's main floor. It has many books, magazines, and old records. These are about Pier 21 and immigration in Canada. You can learn how immigrants helped shape Canadian life.
The SFHC helps people from all over the world find their family history. While it doesn't keep all historical records, it can help you find them. You can search for basic information about people who arrived in Canada between 1865 and 1935. Records for Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, or Saint John from 1925 to 1935 are also available.
You can work with staff members at the centre. They can help you find old documents and immigration records. You can also send research requests online through the museum's website.
Public Programs
The museum has programs for everyone.
Artist-in-Residence Program
Every year, the museum hosts an Artist-in-Residence. For example, in 2021, Aquil Virani created a project called "Our Immigrant Stories." This project invited people to celebrate immigrant heroes in their lives.
Diversity Spotlight Film Series
This program partners with groups across Canada. It shows films about immigration, different cultures, and multiculturalism. These films are free to watch.
Pier 21 Reads
Pier 21 Reads features Canadian authors. Their books often talk about immigration. This program is offered in English and French. It's a chance to meet authors and hear them talk about their work.
School Programs
The museum offers tours and workshops for schools. These programs are available in French and English. They teach about immigration for different age groups.
Celebrating Citizenship
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 often hosts citizenship ceremonies. About 1000 immigrants have become new Canadians at the museum over the years. A special Canada Day ceremony is held every year.
Other Services
The museum also has a Café and a Gift Shop. You can buy souvenirs about the museum and Nova Scotia. Local crafts are also sold there.
The museum was renovated in 2015. It now has new spaces for rent. Many events are held here, like weddings and conferences. Over 200 events happen each year.
Museum Mascot
Fenton Bear is the official mascot of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. He first appeared in 2015. Fenton is a great dancer! He is the star of the museum's "Teddy Bear's Journey" program. This program helps children understand immigration through the eyes of stuffed animals.
Fenton was named after Fenton Crossman. He was an immigration officer who worked at Pier 21 long ago. Now, Fenton greets cruise ships and visits festivals. He also surprises visitors at the museum.
See also
- Eswyn Lyster - warbride author
