Pier 21 ~ Canadian Museum of Immigration

Pier 21 ~ Canadian Museum of Immigration

We took the ferry from Dartmouth to Halifax. 

I still hadn't driven in Halifax and wasn't overly eager to begin on a snowy day. 

It was a c-o-l-d, windy day! 

In front of the piers at the wharf was this great statue 

"The Emigrant"

It is a representation of those who left their homeland to begin a new life in Canada. 

Pier 21 opened in 1928 and served as a passenger terminal for trans-Atlantic ocean liners

from 1928 to 1971. 

The Pier was the primary point of entry for over one million immigrants and refugees. 

It was also a departure point for nearly 500,000 Canadian military during WWII. 

They even built a facility there during the war to move troops from the 

hospital ships to special hospital trains. 

Over 2,000 children came through there as they fled the blitz in England. 

Huge amounts of gold bouillon were secretly brought through on their way out of Europe

to safety in Canadian banks. (The gold was labeled as things such as margarine & peanuts.)

At the end of the war, it continued busy with the welcoming return of the troops, 

followed by the ever welcome War Brides.  

Empress of Ireland ~ Canada's Titanic

The museum has a year-long special exhibit of the Empress of Ireland

The Empress of Ireland was a passenger ship of high regard, sailing between Canada and Great Britain. 

In the early morning of May 29, 1914 as it went up the St. Lawrence River in very foggy conditions

it was hit broadside by a ship carrying coal. 

The ship sank in less than 15 minutes and over 1,000 lives were lost. 

This horrific accident would probably be remembered more except that less than 2 months later, 

War was declared in Europe. 

The exhibit is in Halifax until November 13, 2016 I would recommend it to one and all!

The accident happened on the eastern end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, on this map it is on the far right. 

After our great museum visits, Aisling and I headed for lunch, actually I think it was more like an early dinner. 

We had great food at Stayner's. I had purchased coupons on Groupon, so basically everything was half price. Yay me!! 

We feel so blessed to be here!!

It seems like most of the people here are thinking of us, not themselves. 

We love our mission, we love the Lord!