Canada’s role in accommodating refugees examined at Burlington museum

An upcoming exhibit at Joseph Brant Museum explores Canada’s acceptance of global refugees.

Refuge Canada, a display that has been travelling across the country, tells of the role Canadians have played in embracing those who have fled other nations and how the role changes depending on the national mood.

Organizers of the show say Refuge Canada doesn’t shy away from portraying the darker chapters of history moving through the major waves of arrival from the Second World War to the present day but tries to balance that with the optimism and expectation of the people who have resettled here.

“Canada has had a mixed record in welcoming refugees, reacting generously to some while overlooking others,” says Dan Conlin, Curator, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 which produced the exhibit. “Refuge Canada provides the context for Canada’s place in the global refugee crisis and brings to light the challenges faced by refugees in Canada.”

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is a national museum located at the site in Halifax where nearly one million immigrants landed in Canada from 1928 to 1971.

The exhibit is staged in five themes: Life Before, Fear, Displacement, Refuge and Life in Canada, with hands-on opportunities to connect with the content.

Visitors to the museum will be able to Crawl inside a UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) tent or find room in an inflatable boat similar to those used by refugees fleeing from Turkey to Greece. You will also be able to “look out” a plane window as the shores of Canada approach and listen to refugees tell their stories throughout the exhibit.

The exhibition also shares stories of success and contributions made by people who came to Canada as refugees.

“Refuge Canada will challenge and inspire as it brings visitors on a journey from darkness to hope, always calling into question preconceptions about what it means to be a refugee,” say organizers.

Refuge Canada will open in Burlington on Nov. 2 and run until April 19, 2025.

Joseph Brant Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1240 North Shore Boulevard East.

For more information about this exhibit and others as well as admission prices, visit museumsofburlington.ca/exhibition/refuge-canada.