Pier 21: The Musical

Connect with Canada’s immigration history in the very gateway that inspired the production 'Pier 21: The Musical'. Refugees and immigrants flee Europe as war breaks out in 1939. After half a million soldiers depart from Pier 21 to fight in the Second World War, War Brides and a new generation of immigrants arrive to take their first steps on Canadian soil through the Pier. Site-specific theatre at its best, 'Pier 21: The Musical' is a Celtic and Swing flavoured musical packed with powerful v... Read more.

Hector Cowan

Canadian diplomats carry out many different duties when serving abroad. CIHS member, Hector Cowan, was tasked with helping a group of Canadian students leave the disaster zone of the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear plant explosion.... Read more.

2019 Gunn Award

The 2019 Gunn Award competition for the best university student essay on Canadian immigration or refugee history is now open till June 14, 2019. Click here for full competition details.

CBC TV News Archive

An item from the CBC TV News Archive – a report of a 1979 visit to the Anambas Islands of Indonesia where thousands of Vietnamese refugees found some shelter. Canadian immigration officials worked on these islands as part of Canada’s resettlement efforts.