Course Enrollment: CA-303 Canadian: Immigration Records

Optional Print Course Material: Canadian: Immigration Records

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

The study and understanding of immigration is more than just dates and ships’ lists. Learning where our ancestors came from, and why, is a major goal for family historians. Canada was a beacon drawing waves of hopeful immigrants, even before it became a country in its own right.

The course will emphasize the “push-pull” principle underlying two centuries of population growth, including significant emigrant groups, travel routes, government policies, sponsored and assisted settlement plans, ports of arrival, ships’ passenger lists, North American border crossings, naturalization and citizenship. Each module will cover at least one immigration group or programme which made a significant contribution to the settlement and growth of Canada.

Attention is given to special collections such as Home Children and Russian Consular records. Students will learn about access to such sources and strategies for making the important connection to the ancestral country of origin.