Canadian history · Drawing 25 of 43
Arriving at Pier 21
1928–1971
From 1928 to 1971, almost a million immigrants arrived in Canada through Pier 21 in Halifax. For many families, it was their first step in a new country.
Look together
What would you pack in your suitcase for a long trip?
An idea to try
Pack an imaginary suitcase: together, draw three things you would bring to start a new life, then explain your choices.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Pier 21 opened in Halifax on March 8, 1928, and closed in 1971. Almost a million immigrants arrived there, including, after the Second World War, war brides and their children, refugees and displaced persons. Not everyone was welcomed equally: at first, the building separated “British” immigrants from “foreigners,” and the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 shut out almost all Chinese immigrants. An officer who joined the service in 1941 summed up the rules of the time: “our job was to keep people out.”
Today, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 tells these stories. Talk with your child about how it feels to arrive somewhere new, and about what helps someone feel welcome.
Sources and illustration notes (3)
An imaginary family in a simplified early-1950s waiting hall, not copied from any photograph or specific arrival.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 — Historic Pier 21Immigration staff moved in on 8 March 1928; almost one million immigrants arrived at Pier 21; the building separated “British” immigrants from “foreigners”; 1930s restrictions and the quotation “our job was to keep people out”; post-war refugees and displaced persons; closed in 1971.
- Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 — Chinese Immigration Act, 1923The 1923 Act virtually restricted all Chinese immigration; an estimated 15 Chinese immigrants were admitted between 1923 and 1946.
- The Canadian Encyclopedia — Pier 21Pier 21 operated from 1928 to 1971 (closed March 1971); some one million immigrants; some 48,000 war brides and 22,000 children, most arriving at Pier 21.
Page prepared on September 24, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Canada’s Great Moments to Colour
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