Immigration Timeline
For my own immigration experience, I chose to write about my dad’s side of the family, due to the availability of information on the subject. My Grandfather, Jim Kinnaird left his hometown of Edinburgh Scotland in 1955, in hopes of finding employment. He packed just his clothes, his toolkit, and all his money and got on a boat to Canada. He arrived in Toronto, Ontario. And In 1957 he drove across Canada to move to Vancouver, British Columbia. He never settled in Port Coquitlam. He never truly faced any hardships, other than being told to “take the porridge out of his mouth” because of his very strong Scottish accent. He met my grandmother, Patricia in Vancouver. My grandma moved from London, England simply looking for a better life and more opportunities in Canada. She took a boat to New Brunswick in 1957 and then took a train to Vancouver. She came to Canada with just her clothing, her money and her childhood teddy bear, leaving behind her family, her friends and all she had ever known. She never truly faced any hardships, because she was an English-speaking woman. My grandmother moved to Port Coquitlam in 1998, after my brother was born, just to be closer to her children and her grandchildren. Neither of my grandparents truly had any traditions to bring with them to Canada. My grandfather found work in the government working as the president of the B.C. Federation of Labour. My grandfather died at age 50, in 1983. Though I never met him, I know he was a successful advocate for rights, he also enjoyed his life in Canada. My grandparents search for a better life in the country I am proud to call my home, was successful.