As the current European migrant crisis begins boiling over into a global issue, countries like our own are debating whether to allow a new wave of refugees through its borders. In January, the government of Canada announced it would resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next three years in response to a United Nation’s request to increase admission numbers; however, with nine civil wars raging throughout the Middle East and Africa, upwards of 15 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and about one third of those refugees are now seeking asylum abroad. While the government of Canada considers its course of action, let’s not forget about past migrant crises, particularly surrounding the Second World War, after which about 12 million civilian refugees were left wandering Europe in search of a new home. Many of these refugees – some of whom we’ll get to later – we’re able to find a new home in Canada. Continue reading →
From left to right: Joe Iorio, Ursula McDonald, Toby Grimminck and Len Buth celebrate their immigration to Canada at Pier 21 in Halifax, N.S. They each arrived in Canada through the iconic pier more than 50 years ago.
