Gateway to Canada

August 27 was warm and humid with clouds and sun. After a slow start, we managed to pile into the car and drive to historic, downtown Halifax, where we joined scores of tourists on the Harbourwalk. I forgot my sunscreen! Before I was scorched, we headed into the safety of the Pier 21 Museum, Canada’s national museum of immigration. This is a sensitive, informative look at the 1.5 million immigrants who passed through this gateway to our country and the role they have played in shaping Canadian life. Our entry ticket allows us to return, free of charge, to use the museum’s genealogical services, where we can research our personal histories. Did my maternal great great grandfather, Patrick Morin, begin his new life on these shores? Or, did my paternal grandparents, Peter and Martha, more recently, travel from Halifax to Medicine Hat? I will investigate!