{"id":12462,"date":"2020-12-07T19:09:58","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T19:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=12462"},"modified":"2021-06-14T19:29:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T19:29:02","slug":"immigrating-to-canada-then-and-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=12462","title":{"rendered":"Immigrating to Canada: then and now"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”12526″ img_size=”2400×1200″ alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Immigrating to Canada: then and now” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:60px|text_align:center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]\n

E<\/span>lfriede Wagner (n\u00e9e Kahr) was one of the 154,200 people who immigrated to Canada in 1954.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span>This is her story, from growing up in the small town of Wolfsberg, Austria during the Second World War to immigrating to Toronto, Canada as a young adult.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]Early life<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wagner was born in Wolfsberg, Austria on June 12, 1933, six years before the WW II. She was the third born of five children to Viktor and Franziska Kahr.<\/p>\n

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\u201cGrowing up during the war was difficult,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a happy situation.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/UMmKfKrGSWw” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]Wagner and her family had to go into an underground cellar virtually every day to avoid potential bombs that were set off around her house.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2zdzxfaBcc0&feature=youtu.be” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInDown”]Wagner’s immigration process<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the early months of 1947, the liberal government under Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King took steps in order to support European immigration by expanding immigration policies<\/a>. In doing so, this allowed people living in Canada to sponsor a family member, whether it be a wife, husband, unmarried son, daughter, brother, sister, father or mother.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]She and her then-boyfriend, now late husband Anton Wagner began their immigration process in Linz, Austria where there was a Canadian immigration office.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They each filled out an application and had an examination. Mentioning that she had a brother already living in Canada, Wagner\u2019s application was approved but her fianc\u00e9\u2019s was denied.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp”]\u201cAt that time there was a big unemployment dilemma in Canada. A lot of people didn\u2019t have a job and obviously for women it was different because they could always be a domestic,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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So while Wagner\u2019s application was approved, that didn\u2019t mean she would immediately move to Canada. She had to wait for the next available ship that would make the trip.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5DbqyKid3L4&feature=youtu.be” css_animation=”fadeInDown”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]For a year she waited in her hometown of Wolfsberg working and practicing her cooking skills, then finally in early May of 1954, her brother bought her a $250 ticket to go from Austria to Canada. “I had no idea what I was doing, I didn\u2019t know a word of English, I just wanted to go and make some money,” Wagner said.<\/p>\n

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Wagner arrived in Canada on May 29, 1954 by boat, voyaging across the Atlantic Ocean for 12 days. Her ship, the Neptunia<\/a>, carried 91 people to Pier 21 in Halifax ready to make Canada their permanent home.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_hoverbox image=”12489″ primary_title=”” hover_title=”SS Neptunia” hover_background_color=”custom” el_width=”60″ hover_custom_background=”#f4f4f4″]The SS Neptunia ship carried hundreds of immigrants from Europe to Canada and the United States each month.<\/p>\n

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Vogel, arrived from Germany, 1953. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 DI2013.855.12a.<\/h6>\n[\/vc_hoverbox][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]But Halifax wasn\u2019t Wagner\u2019s final destination, she headed to Toronto by rail to meet her brother Alfred Kahr, who had come to Canada just two years before her to work at a gold mine in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI had no idea what I was doing, I didn\u2019t know a word of English, I just wanted to go and make some money.”<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wagner was in Canada for a little less than a year before she was able to sponsor her fianc\u00e9.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gmaps link=”#E-8_JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSUyRm1hcHMlMkZkJTJGdSUyRjAlMkZlbWJlZCUzRm1pZCUzRDFDN3JQNGY1YUxWTmtLY25MOVFzMmxhazV6eTBEY0lteSUyMiUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTIyNjQwJTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyNDgwJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNF”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_hoverbox image=”12531″ primary_title=”” hover_title=”Edelweiss” el_width=”50″]The edelweiss is the national flower of Austria. The word ‘edel’ means noble and the word ‘weiss’ means white in German. The flower stands for love, nobility and adventure.[\/vc_hoverbox][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]\n

Immigrating to Canada in 2020<\/h1>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]T<\/span>here are approximately 60 ways someone can apply for permanent resident status in Canada. Some of the more popular ways are the economic class, where people can get approved to come to Canada based on their past work experience in their home country and the way they can contribute to Canada\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A person can also come to Canada through family class immigration. This means a family member who\u2019s already living in Canada can sponsor a relative to come- like in Wagner\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\nhttps:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FINAL-podcast.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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The process has changed quite a lot in the over 60 years since Wagner immigrated to Canada. One main change is now siblings aren\u2019t able to sponsor each other, said Kerry Molitor, an immigration consultant who works with people through Canada\u2019s complicated immigration process.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_hoverbox image=”12548″ primary_title=”” hover_title=”Toronto, 1953″ el_width=”80″]\n

Courtesy of Toronto Public Library<\/span><\/h6>\n[\/vc_hoverbox][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]Not only has the process changed, but it has also become a lot harder and unforgiving. \u201cOne simple mistake can put a refusal on the record, and after that, it\u2019s very hard to overcome,\u201d Molitor said. \u201cIt used to be you forgot to sign a form, they\u2019d write to you \u2018please sign this form\u2019 now they just send the whole application back and you go to the end of the line again.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOne simple mistake can put a refusal on the record, and after that, it\u2019s very hard to overcome.\u201d \u00a0 <\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Molitor has helped over 1,500 families make Canada their permanent home in the 18 years she\u2019s been working.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another useful tool for Canadian newcomers is services like the ones offered at the YMCA of Simcoe\/Muskoka\u2019s Immigration Services. They offer services in two different streams- settlement support and English language classes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These types of programs are offered to new Canadians to help them settle comfortably into their community. Counsellors meet with newcomers to assist in finding a family doctor, finding housing and establish a social safety net, said Dave Hamilton, who is the executive team leader at the YMCA Simcoe\/Muskoka Immigration Services.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But COVID-19 hasn\u2019t slowed the YMCA Immigration Services.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very fortunate that we had great support from the federal and provincial governments to continue our mandate,\u201d Hamilton said. \u201cOn March 13 we just transitioned everything over to virtual and remote services so we can continue to provide settlement and support services through a lot of telephone calls or zoom meetings.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJpbmZvZ3JhbS1lbWJlZCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtaWQlM0QlMjI4OWY0MjQ1Yy0xMDkzLTQ3YjAtOWVkYS0yZDNkMTI0YWVmZjklMjIlMjBkYXRhLXR5cGUlM0QlMjJpbnRlcmFjdGl2ZSUyMiUyMGRhdGEtdGl0bGUlM0QlMjJMaW5lJTIwQ2hhcnQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0UlM0NzY3JpcHQlM0UlMjFmdW5jdGlvbiUyOGUlMkNpJTJDbiUyQ3MlMjklN0J2YXIlMjB0JTNEJTIySW5mb2dyYW1FbWJlZHMlMjIlMkNkJTNEZS5nZXRFbGVtZW50c0J5VGFnTmFtZSUyOCUyMnNjcmlwdCUyMiUyOSU1QjAlNUQlM0JpZiUyOHdpbmRvdyU1QnQlNUQlMjYlMjZ3aW5kb3clNUJ0JTVELmluaXRpYWxpemVkJTI5d2luZG93JTVCdCU1RC5wcm9jZXNzJTI2JTI2d2luZG93JTVCdCU1RC5wcm9jZXNzJTI4JTI5JTNCZWxzZSUyMGlmJTI4JTIxZS5nZXRFbGVtZW50QnlJZCUyOG4lMjklMjklN0J2YXIlMjBvJTNEZS5jcmVhdGVFbGVtZW50JTI4JTIyc2NyaXB0JTIyJTI5JTNCby5hc3luYyUzRDElMkNvLmlkJTNEbiUyQ28uc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZlLmluZm9ncmFtLmNvbSUyRmpzJTJGZGlzdCUyRmVtYmVkLWxvYWRlci1taW4uanMlMjIlMkNkLnBhcmVudE5vZGUuaW5zZXJ0QmVmb3JlJTI4byUyQ2QlMjklN0QlN0QlMjhkb2N1bWVudCUyQzAlMkMlMjJpbmZvZ3JhbS1hc3luYyUyMiUyOSUzQiUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRSUzQ2RpdiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIycGFkZGluZyUzQThweCUyMDAlM0Jmb250LWZhbWlseSUzQUFyaWFsJTIxaW1wb3J0YW50JTNCZm9udC1zaXplJTNBMTNweCUyMWltcG9ydGFudCUzQmxpbmUtaGVpZ2h0JTNBMTVweCUyMWltcG9ydGFudCUzQnRleHQtYWxpZ24lM0FjZW50ZXIlM0Jib3JkZXItdG9wJTNBMXB4JTIwc29saWQlMjAlMjNkYWRhZGElM0JtYXJnaW4lM0EwJTIwMzBweCUyMiUzRSUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZpbmZvZ3JhbS5jb20lMkY4OWY0MjQ1Yy0xMDkzLTQ3YjAtOWVkYS0yZDNkMTI0YWVmZjklMjIlMjBzdHlsZSUzRCUyMmNvbG9yJTNBJTIzOTg5ODk4JTIxaW1wb3J0YW50JTNCdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uJTNBbm9uZSUyMWltcG9ydGFudCUzQiUyMiUyMHRhcmdldCUzRCUyMl9ibGFuayUyMiUzRUxpbmUlMjBDaGFydCUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0NiciUzRSUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZpbmZvZ3JhbS5jb20lMjIlMjBzdHlsZSUzRCUyMmNvbG9yJTNBJTIzOTg5ODk4JTIxaW1wb3J0YW50JTNCdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uJTNBbm9uZSUyMWltcG9ydGFudCUzQiUyMiUyMHRhcmdldCUzRCUyMl9ibGFuayUyMiUyMHJlbCUzRCUyMm5vZm9sbG93JTIyJTNFSW5mb2dyYW0lM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGZGl2JTNF[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]A<\/span>ccording to the 2016 census<\/a>, 21.9 per cent of Canada\u2019s total population were foreign-born individuals (7,540,830).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There has been quite a lot of fluctuation over the years which can be because of factors such as immigration policy changes or world events that may affect the movement of migrants.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Prior to the 1960s, before there were large changes made to Canada\u2019s immigration legislation, the majority of people immigrating to Canada were European.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After the legislation changes in the 1960s, there has been a growing population of Canadian immigrants from Asian countries such as China and Japan.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino revealed Canada\u2019s plan for the next three years looking to welcome approximately 1.2 million immigrants by 2023 in order to rebuild Canada\u2019s economy from COVID-19.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]\u201cImmigration is essential to getting us through the pandemic, but also to our short-term economic recovery and our long-term economic growth,\u201d Mendicino said in a press conference<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_hoverbox image=”12532″ primary_title=”” hover_title=”Trillium” hover_background_color=”custom” el_width=”50″ hover_custom_background=”#ddc3c3″]The trillium has been Ontario’s official flower since 1937. This was chosen after the first world war to plant on fallen soldiers’ graves.[\/vc_hoverbox][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”12526″ img_size=”2400×1200″ alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Immigrating to Canada: then and now” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:60px|text_align:center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”] Elfriede Wagner (n\u00e9e Kahr) was one of the 154,200 people who immigrated to Canada in 1954.   This is her story, from growing up in the small town of Wolfsberg, Austria during the Second World War to immigrating to Toronto, Canada as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":12526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[51,637,53],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12462"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/87"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}