My long journey to Canada
I arrived in Toronto on March 1958 but my journey actually started in July 1929, 13 years before I was born. My father decided to immigrate to Canada and he left his pregnant wife and two year old daughter and sailed from Belfast, Ireland on the ship the Andania, of the Cunnard line and arrived in Quebec on July 27, 1929. He travelled to Toronto and there joined my Uncle, who had immigrated in May, they boarded with a Mrs. Kelly in the Lonsdale Ave. in the west of Toronto.
Well in October 1929 the stock market crashed and threw lots of men out of work. It also changed his plans for bringing the family to Canada.
He told me stories about the country and the weather and the cold winter and what he did to make money to send home to my mother. He rode the rods on the train to different towns and cities across Canada trying to find work. I don’t know what he did or worked at while in Canada, he may have told me but I cannot remember. I do remember some of the things he did and he told me that he did anything to make money to keep himself and to send money home to my mother.
He used to tell me that Mrs. Kelly would give him what for because he never buttoned up his collar button in the winter, he said the cold never bothered him, he said that sometimes it so cold that metal would stick to your hand and if you were not careful you would pull the skin off your hand trying to let go of the metal.
He told of riding on rods beneath the trains as he traveled across the country looking for work and he was not alone as thousands of others were doing the same because they had no money to buy a ticket. But through all the hardship he loved Canada.
In the spring or summer of 1930, he got a job of painting the exterior of two houses, he was paid fifty dollars and he had to supply the paint. He said that he bought the oil and made his own paint.
By this time my mother was begging home to come home as she was alone and raising two young children as my brother had been born in March. I don’t recall exactly when in 1930 , I suspect it was late summer or fall that he had to go to the government and asked to be sent back home as work was difficult to get there was little money to send home.
Of course there were not the social programs then as there are today.
I don't recall what happened to my uncle Bill wither or not he returned as well.
He always wanted to come back to Canada but my mother would not hear of it and refused to emigrate. Maybe she was afraid that history would repeat it’s self as young girl in 1912, her family immigrated to the states but turned back due to health problems. One of her sisters was blind.
So, growing up in the late 1940s’ I heard many stories of his life in Canada. I guess that’s why I immigrated to Canada at age 16 in March 1958.
I landed in Malton (Toronto Intl airport) on March 11, 1958.
It seemed the natural thing to do to immigrate to Canada; after all, I grew up hearing about stories of his time in Canada. I like to think that my father’s one regret was that he was not going with me as he loved Canada.
My sister and her family had immigrated in 1957 and settled in Toronto, Ont. I applied to Canada house and was granted approval and arrived in Toronto March 11, 1958.
So what defines Canada for me?
Canada didn’t offer immigrants a free ride but rather it offered everyone the opportunity to use their skills, their abilities and their ingenuity to get a fresh start in life. I was fortunate that I didn’t have a problem with having to learn the language, but other nationalities had a more difficult time being accepted.
As long as I was willing to work and was interested in learning the job or skill, I found that people did not hesitate to help you better yourself. The opportunity for furthering ones education was there and I certainly took advantage. I worked many jobs; construction, truck driver, warehouseman, underground miner and continued to educate myself. I joined the Canadian army and acquired additional skills including self-discipline and self-reliance.
I volunteered as a Scout Leaded for over 25 years and enjoyed teaching and watching the youth learn new skills and grow. It was gratifying when a former scout showed up with his son to enroll him in the program.
I have worked and travelled all across Canada, Newfoundland is the only Provence that I have not visited. Wherever I traveled I found the locals friendly and willing to help and that if one met people half way help was always offered if needed.
Gander, Newfoundland in September, 2001 is what defines Canada for me.
To me Canada is the best country in the world. Yes it has its problems and it certainly has its challenges. New comers today have it a lot easier than we did 60 years ago. There are a lot more social programs and government assistance available to new immigrants and refugees. It will not be an easy road to make Canada your home but if they show that they are willing to do their part to help the country grow then Canadians will always offer a helping hand.
