Pier 21 Reopens Doors Today
Beginning in the 1920s, Canada welcomed more than one million immigrants through Pier 21 in Halifax. Today, on Canada Day, Pier 21 opened its doors to the public for the first time since 1971.
Pier 21 offers a unique and authentic glimpse into Canadian history. The refurbished immigration shed pays tribute to and honours the legacy of the people who passed through the landmark.
"Pier 21 tells all the wonderful and painful stories of those immigrants who came through these halls," said Ruth Goldbloom, president, Pier 21 Society. "We want to ensure that future generations understand the hardships, fear and excitement that people went through to become Canadians."
"This wonderful historic site will be a reminder to us all of the rich and diverse nature of our multicultural society," said Premier Russell MacLellan. "Pier 21 is another reason for tourists, particularly landed immigrants and descendants of landed immigrants, to visit Nova Scotia."
The Pier 21 Society received nearly $4 million to restore the historic site through the Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Economic Diversification. The agreement is managed federally by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and provincially by Nova Scotia Economic Development and Tourism. Halifax Regional Municipality also contributed $500,000 to the project.
"For the millions of immigrants, refugees, war brides and evacuee children who passed through Pier 21's halls between 1928 and 1971, there is no more fitting tribute than the revitalization of Pier 21," added Senator Al Graham, leader of the government in the Senate and Minister Responsible for Nova Scotia, on behalf of Fred Mifflin, Secretary of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
At the outdoor celebration, representatives from the five Pier 21 alumni groups were asked to take part in a special ceremony by filling in the missing pieces of a large Canadian flag as a symbol of their group's contribution to Canada.
"As the pieces in the puzzle show, we are one Canada," said event emcee Hana Gartner of The National Magazine, a CBC-TV program. "No matter where we come from, we are one people. Pier 21 is a testament to this."
Other highlights of the ceremony included the launch of a song, titled Pier 21. This contribution from CBC-TV, exclusive broadcast partner of Pier 21, was a cross-Canada collaboration by four of the country's top singer/songwriters: Lennie Gallant from the East Coast, Alberta's James Keelaghan, Saskatchewan's Connie Kaldor, and Michelle Campagne from the Quebec group Hart Rouge, who is contributing a verse in French.
The following businesses and media organizations sponsored Pier 21's grand opening celebrations: Sobey's; Nesbitt Burns - Member of Bank of Montreal Group of Companies; Keith's; CBC-TV; and the Daily News.
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