Author: CIHS ADMIN

Presentation on British Home Children

On Wednesday, October 27 at 7pm, the Historical Society of Ottawa and Emma Kent will offer a Zoom presentation on the Home Children. Between 1869 and 1932, 100,000 children were sent from Britain and placed with Canadian families, often to serve as cheap farm or domestic labour. Ottawa's St. George's Home, in Hintonburg, was one of Canada's principal "distribution centres" for Roman Catholic children. Emma Kent shares excerpts from her own grandfather's memoirs to explore what kind of life thes... Read more.

Molloy Bursary

The CIHS Board proudly announces the establishment of the CIHS Molloy Bursary for undergraduate students in Canadian universities.  The goal of the Bursary is to provide financial support to students studying Canadian history, especially the history of immigration to this country.  Each year a $1,000 Bursary will be awarded to a deserving student studying in either official language.  We invite newcomers to Canada to apply. The award is named for our past-president, Michael J. Molloy.  Un... Read more.

The Settlement of Indochinese Refugees

The Settlement of Indochinese Refugees: A Preliminary Analysis based on Interviews with Officials of the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission This 1981 report by Meyer Burstein, led the late Kirk Bell, then Immigration Director General of Policy at Employment and Immigration Canada, to call Meyer in for a chat. This work was Meyer's introduction to immigration matters. Nevertheless, Bell offered Meyer a job as Director of Data Analysis and Forecasts.  Meyer had a staff of three inclu... Read more.

UNHCR ID card

A UNHCR ID card issued to a refugee who spent some time in the Pulau Bidong refugee camp in Malaysia before coming to Canada.

Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees

This article, by W.C. Robinson, explores the ‘Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees, 1989-1997’. It (CPA) has been hailed as a model of international solidarity and burden-sharing, and criticized as an example of international buck-passing and questionable compromises. In the early years of the Indochinese movement there was an understanding that the reign of vindictive oppression that followed the communist take-over of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos justified offering reset... Read more.

Kosovar evacuation to Canada

On April 27, 1999 the very first Kosovars of the 5000 Canada committed to shelter arrived, followed by the first major evacuation flight on May 4, 1999. This movement - temporary at first, then offering permanent resettlement, is recounted by Dr. Jan Raska of the Canadian Museum of Immigration History at Pier 21. There is also a 2009 documentary about this movement that can be viewed here. ... Read more.