Page 84 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to Canada

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The museum offers
CANADIAN MUSEUM OF IMMIGRATION AT PIER 21
genealogical resources
onsite at the Scotiabank
Family History Centre.
Countless Journeys. One Canada.
Here you can meet
researchers who will help
uncover your ancestors’
stories and learn about
Pier 21 Captures Canada’s Immigration History
One Story at a Time.
their arrival through many
North American ports.
BY MARK STACHIEW
Many of the nearly one million immigrants
who passed through Pier 21 in Halifax from
1928 to 1971 arrived with little more than
hope for a better life, but all were greeted
with a sign on the side of the building that
said, “Welcome Home to Canada.”
Today, this iconic red-brick building,
located at the Halifax Seaport, is Canada’s
national immigration museum. This
museum tells the stories that shaped and
continue to shape Canada. These stories
are brought to life through imagery,
authentic voices, and hands-on activities.
The Pier 21 Story encourages you to
explore what it was like to immigrate
through Canada’s last remaining ocean
immigration terminal, now designated a
National Historic Site. From inspirational to
heartbreaking, you’ll hear first-hand
accounts of Holocaust survivors fleeing war-
torn Europe alongside the memories of War
Brides and their children reuniting with
their Canadian husbands in a new land.
Your journey through the museum lets
you walk in the footsteps of those who
arrived and departed through this former
gateway to Canada. You’ll see a Dutch kist,
treasures from home and the toys children
brought with them. Step into a replica ship
cabin or even an immigrant railcar.
Although you can tour the exhibition on
your own, I recommend joining a guided
tour in English or French to gain a deeper
historical context and understanding of the
human experience of leaving one life
behind to start a new one in Canada.
Of course many more millions of
immigrants arrived before and after the
Pier 21 years and through other ports of
entry. You will discover the past and
contemporary experiences of newcomers
in the Canadian Immigration Story. This
second permanent exhibition examines
how over 400 years of immigration shaped
Canada and continues to do so.
Many immigrants faced significant
struggles after arrival, and the museum
doesn’t shy away from darker aspects of
Canada’s immigration history, including
racial and political exclusions. The
inclusion of Indigenous voices offers a
necessary perspective on the effects of
colonization on their communities.
From May 2025 to January 2026, a
special new exhibition eat make share: a
taste of immigration will be on display at the
museum before embarking on a national
tour. It looks at the connection between
food and immigration, while also asking
the question what is Canadian food
anyways?
It’s easy to see why the Canadian
Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is a
top-rated, year-round experience on
TripAdvisor. If you’re seeking a closer
connection to your roots or simply a deeper
understanding of what makes Canada
unique, a visit to this museum will
undoubtedly inspire. (www.pier21.ca)