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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have the personal arrival information of everyone who arrived at Pier 21?

We only have the personal arrival information of individuals who arrived between 1925 and 1935. In our Immigration Database we have the personal arrival information of everyone who arrived by passenger ship at all Canadian ports, not just Pier 21. The database also includes the names of some immigrants who arrived at American ports then proceeded directly to Canada.

Does Pier 21 have copies of the original passenger lists which include individuals who arrived in Canada between 1925 and 1935?

Pier 21 has microfilm copies, obtained from the National Archives of Canada, of the original passenger lists for everyone who entered Canada through the ports of Quebec City, Montreal, Saint John and Halifax between 1925 and 1935.

How can I obtain a copy of an individual record from a passenger list for the years 1925 to 1935?

If you are visiting Pier 21 we can produce onsite for $20.00. We will mail them out at the same price or you can write to the Photoduplication Unit, Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N4, Fax: (613) 995-6274.

If you contact the archives please include all of the relevant details about the arrival that you gather from consulting the Immigration Database at Pier 21 or you can send them a print-out of the reference from the database on the Library and Archives Canada website www.collectionscanada.ca (see ArchiviaNet). In order to process your request the Photoduplication Unit requires the following information:

Your name, address, e-mail and daytime telephone number; and the following information about the immigrant(s);

If you are ordering them from the Library and Archives Canada the records cost forty cents per page (each order constitutes two pages); orders must be prepaid so please include your VISA or Mastercard number and expiry date.

What information will I receive if I write to
the National Archives for a record?

  • Family Name?
  • Given Name?
  • Relationship?
  • Age?
  • Gender?
  • Single, married, widowed, divorced?
  • Country of birth?
  • Place of Birth?
  • Nationality?
  • Race or people?
  • If in Canada before between what periods?
  • At what address?
  • Ever refused entry to or deported from Canada?
  • Do you intend to reside permanently in Canada?
  • Can you read?
  • What language?
  • By whom was passage paid?
  • What trade or occupation did you follow in your own country?
  • What trade or occupation do you intend to follow in Canada?
  • If destined to relative, friend or employer state which and give name and full address. If not joining any person in Canada, give the address in Canada to which you are going?
  • Give name, relationship and address of your nearest relative in the country from which you came. If a spouse or children are to follow you later to Canada, give names and ages?
  • Have you or any of your family ever been: Mentally defective?
  • Physically defective?
  • Tubercular?
  • Passport – number, place and date of issue?
  • Money in possession belonging to passenger?
  • Traveling inland on?
  • Action taken and civil examiner? – Here the prospective immigrant receives either a landed immigrant stamp or detained stamp.

Where are the immigration records from before 1925 located
and how can I access them?

The immigration records from 1865 to 1935 are held by the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. For more information please consult the Library and National Archives Canada website at www.collectionscanada.ca . Click on Canadian Genealogy Centre: Sources by Topic: Immigration. Their mailing address is:

Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N4, Fax: 613- 995-6274, Genealogy Reference Desk: 613-996-7458, Toll-free number: 1-866-578-7777.

Please note that pre-1925 records are not indexed and staff at the Library and Archives Canada cannot undertake searches in unindexed records; however their website explains how unindexed microfilm can be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Where are the immigration records of individuals who arrived after 1935 held and how can I access them?

The post-1935 records are held by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Access is restricted under the Access to Information and Privacy Acts. You can apply for a copy of your own record by visiting your local CIC office (fee $30.00) or if you live outside Canada, at your nearest Canadian Consular Office. For information about your nearest CIC office, telephone the CIC Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100. If you wish to obtain a copy of someone else’s record, you should apply in writing under Access to Information (fee $5.00) to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Public Rights Administration, 360 Laurier Avenue West 10th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1L1. Note that access conditions apply. You must include written permission from the individual concerned or provide proof that he/she has been deceased twenty years. If the person has been deceased less then twenty years, only immediate family can request information but you must also include proof of relationship (for example, a newspaper obituary)

Will Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
provide me with a passenger list?

No. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will only tell you about yourself or your relative. They cannot give out personal information about anyone else.

Will the Department of Citizenship and Immigration
send me a copy of the original documentation?

No. They will write you a letter detailing your arrival or that of the family member you inquired about.

Does Pier 21 have information about the Canadian soldiers
who embarked from and arrived at Pier 21 during the Second World War?

No, the only information that we have from this period is a list of ship names and dates provided by the Canadian government, which describes the comings and goings of ships during the war years. No information about the soldiers on the ships is available at Pier 21. However, it is available from the Personnel Records Unit, Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4 (fax: 613-947-8456). You should specify that you are requesting information from the Second World War sailing lists and provide identifying details about the soldier (name, date of birth, regimental number).

How can I find out if you have an image of the ship
that I am looking for?

Click here to see a list of the ships we have available.

How much does an image of a ship cost?

Ship images cost $35.00, which includes taxes and shipping within Canada. If you would like the photo shipped to the United States, the cost of the image is $40.00. All prices are in Canadian funds. They come framed and with a personalized caption. The customized images can say anything that you like. The captions frequently read like this one:

“The Rogers family arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the Queen Mary on June 23, 1946″.

To coordinate the order a ship image you can email Carrie-Ann Smith at library@pier21.ca. You can pay with a credit card or by making your cheque out to the Pier 21 Society and mailing it to ScotiaBank Research Centre, Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4P6. If you mail in your order please remember to include your return address, the image’s description from the above list and the caption if one is requested.

Do you have information about the individual ships such as size, years of operation and ownership?

We have Ship Fact Sheets for about two hundred of the ships that visited Pier 21. Write to Carrie-Ann Smith for ship information. Even if we don’t have a Fact Sheet we can usually provide you with some information about a given vessel. We have the arrival schedules for all of the Pier 21 years except 1960, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971 and our nautical history literature collection is growing.

How much does a Ship Fact Sheet cost and can they be customized?

Ship Fact Sheets cost three dollars each and cannot be customized.

Can archival images of war brides, home children, service personnel, immigrants, and Pier 21 itself be purchased?

Many archival images can be purchased, it depends on whether or not Pier 21 has the copyright to the image that you want. Please submit your written request to Carrie-Ann Smith, Research Librarian at Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4P6 or e-mail her at library@pier21.ca

What if I am a journalist, author or an organization and would like to obtain the usage of one of your images for publication purposes?

In this situation you should also write to Carrie-Ann Smith, Research Librarian at Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4P6 or e-mail her at library@pier21.ca Please submit the details of your project.

Where did immigrants arrive in Halifax before Pier 21
was opened in March of 1928?

Pier 2 in the North End of Halifax opened as the Ocean Terminal in the late 1800s and functioned as Halifax’s primary immigration shed up until 1928. For further information please contact us for an essay on Pier 2. We also have photographs of this Pier for sale if anyone is interested in a remembrance of a relative who arrived during this period. These are available for twenty-five dollars and like the ship images come framed and with a personal caption (when one is requested). They can be ordered the same way as ship images, detailed in Answer 11.

Did all immigrants who arrived in Halifax before 1918
disembark at the Ocean Terminal?

Before 1908, it is impossible to say exactly where immigrants landed. The Halifax waterfront was lined with small “finger piers”. An immigrant could have disembarked at any one of them. Immigration records only cite Halifax; a specific pier is never named.

Is the Ocean Terminal/Pier 2 still standing?

Unfortunately not. Pier 21 is the last immigration shed in Canada still standing.

Are you interested in hearing the stories of individuals
who arrived at Pier 21?

Yes. Our story database is one of the most popular and helpful resources that we have. You can submit your story either online , via email to library@pier21.ca, or by regular mail. The stories we have received vary in length and style. Anything that you can tell us would be greatly appreciated.

Is Pier 21 interested in hearing about arrivals at other
Canadian ports and airports?

We are interested in putting together a picture of Canadian immigration. Pier 21 and the 1928 to 1971 era is our focus. However, we welcome stories about arrivals at other Canadian ports, airports and contemporary immigration experiences.

Where can I find information about home children?

Pier 21 has a large collection of home children names and resources. Please contact Carrie-Ann Smith, Manager of Research with your questions on this topic.

Library and Archives Canada holds a number of records about home children in addition to the passenger lists. You can visit their website at www.collectionscanada.ca

If you have any questions which are not addressed above
please write to:

Carrie-Ann Smith
Manager of Research
Pier 21
1055 Marginal Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4P6

Tel: 902-425-7770
Fax: 902-423-4045

Pier 21 is a non-profit organization with a small staff. Please allow up to one month for a response to your question. Document prepared by Carrie-Ann Smith, Research Librarian.

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