Preserving our immigration history.

Refugees

We present some general information on elements of Canada’s refugee policies and programs and specific refugee and refugee-like movements.
Note that a separate section covers the movement of the Indochinese refugees to Canada.

Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

The Vietnamese Boat People Memorial Association

The Vietnamese Boat People Memorial Association has appreciatively added to its website select passages from ‘Running on Empty‘. The Association aims “to preserve the historical heri...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

Canada’s and Canadians’ humanitarian tradition

CIHS President Michael Molloy , Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Dawn Edlund, Naomi Alboim and Doctor Nhung Tran-Davies recently discussed C...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

Running on Empty book presented to IOM Director General

CIHS member Erica Usher presents a copy of Running on Empty to IOM Director General, William Swing at IOM HQ in Geneva where Erica is on assignment as Senior Policy Adviser, Global Compact for Migrati...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

The CBC website carries two articles stemming from ‘Running on Empty’

The CBC website carries two articles stemming from ‘Running on Empty’. In the first, some of the immigration officers involved talk of their experiences. In the second, we read of one of t...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

Syrian refugees in Ottawa

CIHS is pleased to promote on-line stories about the reception of Syrian refugees in Ottawa – stories from the immigrants themselves but also from people involved in this refugee movement and wh...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

CBC News report

CBC News reported on ‘Running on Empty: Canada and the Indochinese Refugees, 1975-1980’...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

Historica Canada Heritage Minute: The Boat People

In consultation with Society President, Michael Molloy, Historica Canada has produced and released (on World Refugee Day – June 20) a Heritage Minute on the Indochinese ‘boat people’. The story...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

Running on Empty – Book Publication

The Society proudly announces the publication of its book, ‘Running on Empty’, on the Indochinese ‘boat people’ movement under the banner of McGill Queen’s University Pre...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

Canadian Caper, with apologies to Ben Affleck

Our late colleague, John Sheardown, and his wife, Zena, are featured in a column from the ‘Ottawa Citizen’ of January 19. Their role in sheltering US diplomats in Tehran is recounted in a...
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Black and white photograph of students in a classroom, circa 1930s-1940s.

Indochinese Refugee Newsletter

In July, 1979, just before announcing Canada would accept 50,000 refugees, Immigration Minister Ron Atkey launched a newsletter to keep Canadian refugee sponsors informed of the latest developments. T...
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