Pier 21
Encyclopedia
Pier 21, a former ocean liner
terminal, is Canada's National Museum of Immigration in Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
It operated as an ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971 and became an immigration museum in 1999. Pier 21 is Canada's last remaining ocean immigration shed. The facility is often compared to Ellis Island
, although this term is also used to describe the immigration station at Grosse Isle, Quebec
. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1996, and was named a National Museum of Canada in 2009.
in the Halifax Ocean Terminals, Pier 21 was used as a passenger terminal for trans-Atlantic ocean liner
s from 1928 until 1971. It replaced an early immigration facility at Halifax's Pier 2 in the Halifax's North End
. Liners docked at a long seawall wharf divided into Piers 20, 21, 22 and 23. The immigration facilities were located at Pier 21, although the term is often used to describe all the Ocean Terminal piers. Pier 21 had a railway booking office and passenger train sidings for special immigration trains as well as an overhead walkway to the Halifax, Nova Scotia railway station
. The Pier was the primary point of entry for over one million immigrants and refugees from Europe and elsewhere, as well as the departure point for 496,000 military personal Canadian
troops during World War Two
. The facility became known informally as the 'Gateway to Canada
.'
From 1971 until the late 1990s, Pier 21 sat as little-used warehouse space, although the former immigration quarters did provide popular studio and workshop space for artists. The ocean liner pier itself became increasingly used as the Halifax Port Authority
's cruise ship
dock.
In cooperation with the Halifax Port Authority, Pier 21 was re-opened as a museum in 1999. The goal of the Museum is to celebrate the Canadian immigration experience by honouring and sharing the stories of Canadian immigrants throughout history. As the nation’s last remaining ocean immigration shed, the Pier 21 Museum tells the stories of the 1.5 million immigrants and Canadian military personnel who passed through its doors between 1928 and 1971 and has sought to broaden its mandate to explore all immigration to Canada. On June 25, 2009 Prime Minister Stephen Harper
announced a Statement of Intentions to designate a National Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.
The Pier 21 story collection has broadened from those who actually passed through Pier 21’s doors, to include stories about immigration from all points of entry from the early beginnings of Canada (including First Nations
) and concentrating on all immigration from 1867 to the present. Pier 21 is collecting family histories that go back to 1867 and is eager to begin collecting stories from those that arrived after 1971. These stories will be among the raw materials used to create future exhibits.
An Oral History Coordinator onsite conducts oral history interviews. These are vital to Pier 21’s collection and its ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing stories of all Canadians.
The image collection includes thousands of scanned newspaper clippings, immigration related documents and ship memorabilia, as well as digital photos donated by individual families and many organizations.
with graphic design by David Berman
and Trevor Johnston, it was produced by the Canadian Jewish Congress
, The memorial is of a polished stainless steel wheel that reflects back the observers' feelings as they experience the focus of what led to the turning away of the passengers on the MS St. Louis. Symbolizing the hateful and racist policies that turned away more than 900 Jewish refugees, the wheel incorporates within it four gears of descending size, upon which each has a word inscribed to represent the transmission of influences that - in turning each of the smaller gears - sped up the process that led to the turning away of the vessel and its passengers from sanctuary - antisemitism, xenophobia
, racism
, and then hatred
. On the back of the memorial is a list of the passengers aboard the MS St. Louis.
, Pier 21 Society, Pier 21 Foundation and the Halifax Port Authority
agreed to partner in support of a new national museum at Pier 21. As the sixth national museum in Canada and only the second national museum outside of Canada's National Capital Region, Pier 21 will join Canada's five other national museums:
Pier 21’s most important project is collecting the personal recollections of immigrants whether they arrived in the busy post-war years or yesterday.
, George W. Bush
gave a speech at Pier 21 during his first official visit to Canada
on December 1, 2004.
" in a television competition run by the CBC
.
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
terminal, is Canada's National Museum of Immigration in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
.
It operated as an ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971 and became an immigration museum in 1999. Pier 21 is Canada's last remaining ocean immigration shed. The facility is often compared to Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
, although this term is also used to describe the immigration station at Grosse Isle, Quebec
Grosse Isle, Quebec
Grosse Isle Also known as Grosse Isle and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site, the island was the site of an immigration depot which predominantly housed Irish Immigrants coming to Canada to escape the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1849...
. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1996, and was named a National Museum of Canada in 2009.
History
Located in Halifax's South EndSouth End, Halifax
The South End is a region of Halifax Regional Municipality, located on the southern half of the Halifax Peninsula in Halifax's urban centre. Quinpool Road is increasingly considered to be an arbitrary border between the South and North Ends, though Quinpool Road is also a part of the West End, and...
in the Halifax Ocean Terminals, Pier 21 was used as a passenger terminal for trans-Atlantic ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
s from 1928 until 1971. It replaced an early immigration facility at Halifax's Pier 2 in the Halifax's North End
North End, Halifax
The North End of Halifax is a neighbourhood located in the urban core of Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality, occupying the northern part of the Halifax Peninsula.-Geography:...
. Liners docked at a long seawall wharf divided into Piers 20, 21, 22 and 23. The immigration facilities were located at Pier 21, although the term is often used to describe all the Ocean Terminal piers. Pier 21 had a railway booking office and passenger train sidings for special immigration trains as well as an overhead walkway to the Halifax, Nova Scotia railway station
Halifax, Nova Scotia railway station
The Halifax Railway Station is an inter-city railway station in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is operated by Via Rail.-Current use:The station is the eastern terminus of the Ocean, Via Rail's eastern transcontinental train which operates between Montreal and Halifax; thus it is also the eastern...
. The Pier was the primary point of entry for over one million immigrants and refugees from Europe and elsewhere, as well as the departure point for 496,000 military personal Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
troops during World War Two
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The facility became known informally as the 'Gateway to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.'
From 1971 until the late 1990s, Pier 21 sat as little-used warehouse space, although the former immigration quarters did provide popular studio and workshop space for artists. The ocean liner pier itself became increasingly used as the Halifax Port Authority
Halifax Port Authority
The Halifax Port Authority is a port authority operating as a not-for-profit Crown corporation of the Government of Canada. HPA has responsibility for all federally-owned waterfront properties on Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.The HPA was created on March 1, 1999...
's cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
dock.
In cooperation with the Halifax Port Authority, Pier 21 was re-opened as a museum in 1999. The goal of the Museum is to celebrate the Canadian immigration experience by honouring and sharing the stories of Canadian immigrants throughout history. As the nation’s last remaining ocean immigration shed, the Pier 21 Museum tells the stories of the 1.5 million immigrants and Canadian military personnel who passed through its doors between 1928 and 1971 and has sought to broaden its mandate to explore all immigration to Canada. On June 25, 2009 Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
announced a Statement of Intentions to designate a National Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.
Collection
Pier 21 currently holds 2,000 stories, 500 oral history interviews, 700 donated books, 300 films and thousands of archival images and scans of immigration and WWII documents. Many of the resources can be found on the website and all can be accessed by contacting Pier 21’s Scotiabank Research Centre.The Pier 21 story collection has broadened from those who actually passed through Pier 21’s doors, to include stories about immigration from all points of entry from the early beginnings of Canada (including First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
) and concentrating on all immigration from 1867 to the present. Pier 21 is collecting family histories that go back to 1867 and is eager to begin collecting stories from those that arrived after 1971. These stories will be among the raw materials used to create future exhibits.
An Oral History Coordinator onsite conducts oral history interviews. These are vital to Pier 21’s collection and its ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing stories of all Canadians.
The image collection includes thousands of scanned newspaper clippings, immigration related documents and ship memorabilia, as well as digital photos donated by individual families and many organizations.
MS St. Louis memorial
On January 19, 2011, a memorial monument to the passengers of the MS St. Louis, called "Wheel of Conscience" was unveiling at Pier 21. Designed by Daniel LibeskindDaniel Libeskind
Daniel Libeskind, is an American architect, artist, and set designer of Polish-Jewish descent. Libeskind founded Studio Daniel Libeskind in 1989 with his wife, Nina, and is its principal design architect...
with graphic design by David Berman
David Berman (graphic designer)
David Berman is a Canadian communication designer and author, Fellow and Ethics Chair of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, vice-president/treasurer/Sustainability Chair of Icograda, President of the first elected board of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, and an...
and Trevor Johnston, it was produced by the Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
, The memorial is of a polished stainless steel wheel that reflects back the observers' feelings as they experience the focus of what led to the turning away of the passengers on the MS St. Louis. Symbolizing the hateful and racist policies that turned away more than 900 Jewish refugees, the wheel incorporates within it four gears of descending size, upon which each has a word inscribed to represent the transmission of influences that - in turning each of the smaller gears - sped up the process that led to the turning away of the vessel and its passengers from sanctuary - antisemitism, xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, and then hatred
Hatred
Hatred is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world...
. On the back of the memorial is a list of the passengers aboard the MS St. Louis.
National Museum
As of 2009, the Government of CanadaGovernment of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
, Pier 21 Society, Pier 21 Foundation and the Halifax Port Authority
Halifax Port Authority
The Halifax Port Authority is a port authority operating as a not-for-profit Crown corporation of the Government of Canada. HPA has responsibility for all federally-owned waterfront properties on Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.The HPA was created on March 1, 1999...
agreed to partner in support of a new national museum at Pier 21. As the sixth national museum in Canada and only the second national museum outside of Canada's National Capital Region, Pier 21 will join Canada's five other national museums:
- Canada Science and Technology MuseumCanada Science and Technology MuseumThe Canada Science and Technology Museum is located in Ottawa, Ontario, on St. Laurent Boulevard, to the south of the Queensway .-Mission:...
which encompasses the Canada Agriculture MuseumCanada Agriculture MuseumThe Canada Agriculture Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, houses a modern working farm. Its purpose is to illustrate how advances in farming science and technology have transformed the lives of Canadians...
as well as the Canada Aviation MuseumCanada Aviation MuseumThe Canada Aviation and Space Museum is Canada's national aviation history museum. The museum is located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at the Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport... - Canadian Museum of NatureCanadian Museum of NatureThe Canadian Museum of Nature is a natural history museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its collections, which were started by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1856, include all aspects of the intersection of human society and nature, from gardening to gene-splicing...
(Was formerly named the National Museum of Natural Sciences) - Canadian Museum of CivilizationCanadian Museum of CivilizationThe Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
which encompasses the Canadian War MuseumCanadian War MuseumThe Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
(This Canadian Museum of Civilization was formerly named the National Museum of Man) - National Gallery of CanadaNational Gallery of CanadaThe National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
which encompasses the Canadian Museum of Contemporary PhotographyCanadian Museum of Contemporary PhotographyThe Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography is an gallery of Canada's best art and documentary photography. Founded in 1985 and affiliated to the National Gallery of Canada, it is housed at the National Gallery of Canada, located at 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa.The roots of the collection reach... - Canadian Museum for Human RightsCanadian Museum for Human RightsThe Canadian Museum for Human Rights is a national museum currently under construction in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the historic Forks where the Assiniboine and Red Rivers meet...
which has had its ground breaking in Winnipeg and is due to open in 2012.
Research
The Scotiabank Research Centre houses a large collection of archival information available to the public. Visitors can search for the basic arrival information of anyone arriving through a Canadian port between 1865 and 1935, and the records of individuals coming through Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal or Saint John between 1925 and 1935 can be accessed on microfilm.Pier 21’s most important project is collecting the personal recollections of immigrants whether they arrived in the busy post-war years or yesterday.
Education
Pier 21's Manulife Education Program offers a fun, active, educational visit in the Global Classroom. The various services include French and English tours and workshops for education groups, resources and information for educators and students, family fun days, March Break camps, summer camps, multicultural fairs, and public lectures.Volunteers
Over 100 people from across Canada are Pier 21 volunteers and work in the Scotiabank Research Centre, at the Pier 21 Museum Gift Shop, at special events and in administration.Other services
Pier 21 also hosts a Café, Museum Gift Shop, and the 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) Ralph and Rose Chiodo Harbourside Gallery. Pier 21 also provides rental facilities, hosting over 200 events each year. The pier assisted people with through the red cross and food kitchen. It offered many facilities. The museum's location has attracted conferences and corporate events. US PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
gave a speech at Pier 21 during his first official visit to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on December 1, 2004.
Awards
In 2007, Pier 21 was chosen as one of the "Seven Wonders of CanadaSeven Wonders of Canada
The Seven Wonders of Canada was a 2007 competition sponsored by CBC Television's The National and CBC Radio One's Sounds Like Canada. They sought to determine Canada's "seven wonders" by receiving nominations from viewers, and then from on-line voting of the short list. After the vote, a panel of...
" in a television competition run by the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
Further reading
- Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic and J.P. LeBlanc, Pier 21 – The Gateway that Changed Canada , Lancelot PressLancelot PressLancelot Press was a Canadian publishing company which operated between 1966 and 1997. It specialized in non-fiction titles, many of which were of a regional nature centered on Maritime Canada, in the fields of local history, spirituality and personal memoirs...
, 1988