Pier 21: Gateway of Hope

Between 1928 and 1971, Pier 21 was the gateway of Canada. As the landing port for immigrants, it greeted more than one million new Canadians. It also saw many Canadians leave, including 368,000 soldiers who sailed overseas during the Second World War.

This is the story of Pier 21 and the many people who passed through it, the war brides and their children, the returning warriors, and the refugees from war-torn Europe and beyond. It examines the importance of Canada’s “Ellis Island” and its role today as a historical center.