The Documentary trail

Introduction

Whether they came from overseas or from the North American continent, immigrants to Canada had to overcome numerous challenges and obstacles before establishing a foothold on Canadian soil. A variety of documents -- from the advertisements that encouraged them to make a new life in a new land, to the land grants that were offered to them upon their arrival -- created a trail that followed immigrants throughout their tumultuous voyage. The content of these documents reveals much about past events, but what is the nature, history and role of these items? In this section you will find all of this information and more about selected documents created during the Canadian immigration process.