Canada: Day 1 - Oral History Videos | Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

In Their Own Words

The immigration experience is marked by firsts. The first day in a new country takes shape with an individual’s first steps, first impressions and first experiences. Our very first travelling exhibition, Canada: Day 1, explores immigrants’ diverse personal Day 1 experiences, from Confederation to present day.

In developing the exhibition, our team conducted oral history interviews across the country with newcomers to Canada, to learn more about their personal immigration experiences.

Click below to watch videos and hear newcomers with diverse backgrounds share their immigration experiences, in their own words. (May contain mature content)

Anthony (Tony) Athanas was born in 1959 in Santa Flora, Trinidad and Tobago

Annemarie Buchmann-Gerber newcomer in Prince Albert

Chairuth Bouphaphanh was born in Vientiane

Clarecia Christie was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica

Daxa Popat was born in Kamuli, Uganda in 1957.

Dominica Julie Aspillaga (Julie) was born in Manila, Philippines in 1954

Ethel Suarez was born in Salto, Uruguay in 1944.

Fredrick Wangabo Mwenengabo was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1975.

Grace Penner was born in San Antonio Silva, El Salvador in 1971

Gwendoline Goodey was born in Hampshire, England in 1920

Jebunnessa Chapola was born in Faridpur, Bangladesh

Julia Cristina Hanganu was born in 1989 in Timisoara, Romania

Kavitha Ramachandran was born in 1979 in Chennai, India

Louanne Mae Aspillaga was born in Manila, Philippines in 1981.

Maria Bernadete Gouveia was born in 1946 on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

Monybany Minyang Dau was born in Atar, Sudan in 1975.

Nomaqhawe (Noma) Sibanda was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1981

Olesya Aleksandrova was born and raised in Kyrgyzstan in the late 1970s.

Royson Ng was born in Malacca, Malaysia in 1959.

Ruth Miranda was born in Los Sauces, Chile in 1951.

Vanessa Martins was born in Ipatinga, Brazil in 1976.

Vijay Kumar Bhosekar was born in Hyderabad, India in 1959.

Xianqin Yang was born and raised in Shandong Province, China.

Yolaine Maudet was born in Poitiers, France in 1980.

Yolanda Garcia was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Canada: Day 1 is a travelling exhibition produced by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 as a legacy project of our nation’s 150th anniversary in 2017 and supported by RBC Foundation.