Pier 21

Between 1928 and 1971 around one million immigrants entered Canada through this shed on the Halifax waterfront, along with about half a million military personnel departing and returning in the second world war, and around one hundred thousand war brides and their children. It was the last surviving immigration shed of its kind in Canada and became the national immigration museum in 1999, upgraded to a national museum in 2011. The displays use recorded testimony heavily, including from those refused entry, and the museum does not omit the exclusions: the Chinese head tax, the turning away of the MS St. Louis, the internments.

What you actually see

• The arrival hall - the actual shed where a million people entered Canada.
• The recorded testimony - first-person accounts throughout the galleries.
• The exclusion history - head taxes, refusals and internment covered directly.
• The family research centre - staff helping visitors trace arrivals.

When to go

Year-round; the museum closes Mondays outside summer. The research centre keeps its own hours and helps trace arrival records. Allow two to three hours.

Honest expectations

The subject matter includes refusals and family separations and is heavy in places. The building is a working museum, so little of the original shed atmosphere survives. Research help needs booking.

Nearby

The Maritime Museum lies north along the boardwalk; downtown Halifax is above.