The Passages to Canada Digital Archive is an initiative of the Dominion Institute and is made possible through the financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Program.

This Digital Archive serves as a complement to the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s key cultural studies collections by providing supporting immigrant testimonies and artefacts for the purpose of connecting Canadians with their diverse heritage.

The project offers an unprecedented opportunity for students, educators and interested Canadians to view hundreds of personal artefacts of Canadian immigrants and refugees from across the country. Explore the memorabilia, regions, and languages of the archive through our search tool option or navigate the collection through themes such as The Journey to Canada and Adjusting to Life in Canada. Each Speaker profile consists of a number of artefacts provided by the participant, an audio clip of an immigrant telling their story, and a print version of the interview.

The Passages to Canada Digital Archive is the product of the memories and personal objects of over 120 members of the Passages to Canada Speaker’s Bureau from across the county representing over 45 different languages and over 50 countries from around the world. Our Speakers are community leaders that demographically represent immigration to Canada and are individuals who have made a significant cultural and professional contribution to Canada. Without their generosity and commitment to this national storytelling initiative, our project would not have been possible.