“Hearts of Freedom – A Tribute to Ottawa’s Project 4000”
Ottawa artist An Nguyen has created an artwork entitled “Hearts of Freedom – A Tribute to Ottawa’s Project 4000″
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Hearts of Freedom – Promotion in Thailand
Dr. Stephanie Stobbe provides an account of recent Hearts of Freedom promotion activites in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Two sisters at the Canadian embassy in Paris
The following article appeared in Bulletin 83 (December 2017). Elvire Westley and her sister, Jacqueline, both worked at the Canadian embassy in Paris following the end of hostilities in 1945. Ms. Westley also kindly provided a collection of photos that can be viewed on our site. The Canadian Immigration Museum at Pier 21 has also…
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Bulletin 114 – February 2026
In this issue of the CIHS Bulletin: • An account of the Society’s most recent annual general meeting and dinner, which was held on 23 October 2025 and featured a discussion by Peter Duschinsky and Mike Malloy – two of the authors of Hearts of Freedom • An examination of the measures that were taken…
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An interview with Joe Bissett
In 1956, James “Joe” Bissett was one of the first recipients of a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Carleton University. CIHS member Doug Dunnington recently located this video of Carleton University’s 2024 interview with Joe, who is a CIHS member emeritus. Carleton has established the Bissett Alumni Award for Distinctive Contributions to the…
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Vietnamese Boat People Museum Fundraising Banquet – March 28, 2026
The Vietnamese Boat People Museum, a project aimed at commemorating the experiences of over 1.5 million refugees who fled Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975, is holding a gala fundraising banquet on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The invitation is extended to all and there is a particular hope that former immigration officers who…
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Remembering Cal Best
Born in Nova Scotia in 1926, James Calbert (Cal) Best was Canada’s first Black assistant deputy minister at the federal level. Mr. Best spent several years at Manpower and Immigration and its successor, Employment and Immigration. As assistant deputy minister from 1978 to 1985, he played a key role in the major initiative to resettle…
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This Canadian visitor visa is 40 years old, and so is the CIHS!
Susan Gregson confirms that it was she, as a young visa officer in Beijing, who issued this Canadian visitor visa (or “CVV” as we called them) back in the summer of 1986, just before being cross-posted to Rome. Coincidentally, the CIHS is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026! In February of 1986, the seventeen original…
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Canadian Immigration Statistics, 1966 to 2011
We have added a number of statistical documents to our site. Two publications – one simply titled “Immigration Statistics” and the other “Facts and Figures” were issued annually between 1966 and 2011. They offer insight into the changing demographic of immigrants to Canada, particularly following the adoption of the points system or significant world events…
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Immigration Promotion and Recruitment in 1889
In his annual report for 1889, the Special Agent on Manitoba and North West Colonization, Mr. W. Webster, provides an account of his activities over the course of the year. He details the significant efforts he has made to entice farmers already in Ontario to move to the recently opened Canadian west while discouraging them…
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The Southeast Asian Refugee Movement to Canada: Chronology 1954-1980
We have posted a revised and more complete chronology of developments leading up to and following the start of the movement of Southeast Asian refugees to Canada.
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The threat of secondary migration in 1889
“The Western Reserve is much larger, contains a great many more young men who are also more enlightened, numbers of them knowing the English language thoroughly. These wish to spread out and unless good inducements are held out to retain them on this side of the boundary line, they may do a great deal of…
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Photo album page has been updated!
We have updated the page containing photo albums from the southeast Asian refugee resettlement program of the late 1970s and early 1980s to make them easier to view. Anyone who has photos that they feel will be of interest to CIHS members, from any period of Canada’s immigration history, is encouraged to let us know. We will…
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From the Archives: 1986 – the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award is awarded to “the people of Canada”
In 1986, the people of Canada were the recipients of a prestigious award for their work on behalf of refugees. The Nansen Refugee Award, first presented in 1954, is named after Fridtjof Nansen, who was the first High Commissioner for Refugees at the League of Nations. He led the development of a travel document for…
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Icelandic Immigration Agent Report, 1889
“Some who came out during the past summer have already sent remittances to their relatives and friends in the Mother Country to assist in their Emigration to Canada during the coming year. This alone is sufficient to shew the improved condition of the industrious and frugal Immigrants who comes to this country. It acts as…
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Call for submissions – CIHS Bulletin
We want to hear from you!
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Immigration and Impact – Interactive Timeline
Our partner, The Canadian Museum of Immigration History at Pier 21, has graciously allowed us to link to their integrated timeline of Indigenous and immigration history in Canada. The timeline provides an interactive journey through Canada’s rich immigration history, beginning with the first arrival of humans on the North American continent some 40,000 years ago, through to…
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Resettlement of southeast Asian refugees (1979-1981)
Interview with Brian Bell, Chief of Policy, Settlement Services, EIC (1979-1981) “[I]t was the people from top to bottom, and it was the times. The department had gone from … between the 60s to the 90s … from Manpower and Immigration with a very strong employment orientation, to the 80s where there was a real…
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Southeast Asian Refugees (1975-1981)
Photo album page has been updated! We have updated the page containing photo albums from the southeast Asian refugee resettlement program of the late 1970s and early 1980s to make them easier to view. Anyone who has photos that they feel will be of interest to CIHS members, from any period of Canada’s immigration history, is encouraged…
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Ne prenez pas les bateaux
L’ancien agent du service exterieur d’immigration, René Bersma, propose ses souvenirs détaillés du début de sa carrière, en mettant particulièrement l’accent sur ses expériences en Asie du Sud-Est (1978-1982).
