THE SIREN SANG

"There's an understanding in Canada that immigration is a net-positive for our society, and that we should continue to have a very robust immigration system that welcomes those in need of protection but also those that want to come and give us their skills and talents." - Canadian Minister of Immigration Ahmed Hussen 

Halifax’s history as a major east coast seaport is striking. Halifax-based ships undertook the grim task of searching for bodies of the victims of the sinking of the Titanic.  While some of the bodies recovered had to be buried at sea, a couple hundred of them were brought to Halifax, where many were buried in three cemeteries around the city.

But some five years later, an even more horrific, but for some reason less known (at least in the U.S.), event occurred. A French cargo ship carrying explosives for WWI from New York to Bordeaux via Halifax, collided with another ship and caught fire in the harbor. It drifted into the pier and exploded, destroying almost all buildings within a half-mile radius. Further damage ensued from a resulting pressure wave and tsunami, wiping out an entire section of the city and a community of first nation inhabitants. In the end, some 2,000 people were killed and 9,000 were injured.

Throughout the middle of the twentieth century, Halifax served as the major port of arrival for immigrants from Europe. The most active period was between 1947 and 1971, when war survivors, war brides, and refugees from Eastern Europe passed through the immigration portal at Halifax’s Pier 21. An immigration museum now fills the halls that once housed the immigration processing and detention center at Halifax. Those who know me know that I would not be able to resist the siren song of an immigration museum.

Much like the U.S.’s Ellis Island, the Pier 21 Immigration Museum explains the history of immigration to Canada. It does not gloss over the darker elements of Canadian immigration policies—the 1939 turning away of the MS St. Louis (just like the U.S., leaving its 900 Jewish passengers to return to Europe and their deaths), the overtly racist policies, the subtler racist policies, and the discretion that was sometimes exercised in abusive ways. Interestingly, it also treats the history of relations between indigenous people and European newcomers as an element of immigration history. But it also showcases the opportunities and freedoms many migrants found, as well as their contributions and challenges. One of the featured immigrants came from the U.S. in the 1960s in order to avoid the Vietnam War.

It was a rainy day in Halifax, so my afternoon excursion—sailing on a classic tall ship—was cancelled. But the day was enjoyable nonetheless.

The previous day was spent in Bar Harbor, Maine, where Beth and I spent the morning strolling around town and the afternoon eating our way through town on a “Tastes of Bar Harbor” tour. All foods were sourced and prepared locally: lobster roll (perhaps the best I’ve ever eaten), wild blueberry cake, maple and blueberry popcorn, French fries using local potatoes (a major crop of Maine—who knew?) and fried in duck fat, and a locally-brewed beer.

Yes, we rolled back to the ship.