Topic: New Canadians

Brajinder Dhillon’s Story

My name is Brajinder Dhillon, and I was born in Pakistan. I teach English as a Second Language in Delta, BC, and I enjoy my job.

It was in 1947 that India was divided into two countries: India and Pakistan. My father was killed in the wars. My aunt, who was in Canada since 1936, asked my mother and her children to immigrate to Canada as refugees. Those days Canada was taking refugees from Pakistan. My aunt thought that my family would have a decent life living in Canada. My aunt sent us all the required immigration papers, but my mother who did not speak English did not want to leave India, and refused the offer to come to Canada.

After I got married I found out that my husband Jag, who had a degree in law and sciences, was a progressive and adventurous man. He wanted to settle in England or Canada. At this time, my brother was starting in Canada at UBC. He had been in Canada since 1957. We asked him to apply for our immigration.

In those days, immigration was based on a quota, or a point system. If a relative was willing to sponsor, and you had a good education, then your application would be accepted easily.

It was in 1963 that my husband, my daughter and I came to live in Canada. All of my relatives lived in Vancouver; therefore we all landed in Vancouver. In '63, there were not that may people from India living in Canada. We would often feel lonely and homesick. We would go out and enjoy the beautiful view of Vancouver, and then we would feel a little better.

We had only seven dollars in our pockets when we arrived in Canada. Jag got a job in

the Parks and Recreation Centre. He was paid one dollar an hour. He had to clear all leaves and fallen branches off the ground and burn them. He did not complain about his work, but the money was not enough to pay for his tuition at UBC. We needed more money to pay the rent and buy food.

One day a friend took Jag to a lumber mill and got him a job. He had to pull lumber off a machine, and unfortunately when he did that, he sprained his hipbone. Being a city boy he couldn't handle that. The company gave him an easier job so he could make enough money to pay for his school.

I got a teaching job in Houston, BC, in September 1964, but I could not carry on with my job because I'd given birth to twins. The twins were four months old at the time. It was also very cold in Houston, and I was not used to this severe weather change. It was difficult to manage with three children.

We had a rough time in the beginning, but after graduation my husband got a nice provincial government job in Victoria. We moved to Victoria in 1966. The children were growing up fast.

In 1972, we went to India for a visit. The children were happy to see a different world. We realized that during our nine years of absence from our home country we had lost most of our friends. Even our relatives treated us like guests. We wanted to come back to Canada as soon as possible. At this moment we realized that from then onward, Canada was our home.

http://passagestocanada.com/speaker-profile/?speaker=78

Marie Ori BurnsHungarian Displaced PersonGeneral Stuart Heintzelman

January 17, 1948 To my best recollection the name of the steamship that tied up in Halifax Harbor on January 17th, 1948, was the General Stuart Heintzelman. She was a merchant vessel. She sailed out of Bremerhaven, Germany, the voyage lasting eleven days, many of which were violently stormy. They were, to a novice sailor like me, dreadfully frightening.

I was then an eighteen year old immigration girl, sailing alone, leaving my family behind on the outskirts of Salzburg, Austria. They and I had endured the life of refugees, called displaced persons, from December of 1944, until December of 1947.

My voyage over the Atlantic at the start brought me three miserable days of seasickness, when I realized that the way to take my mind off my misery was to ask for a job in the ship’s gallery, where I was granted a minor service- that of passing out trays to the ship’s passengers for three meals a day.

I "forgot" to be seasick. The food was splendid and the crew was great, mostly Americans, I think.

I was most fortunate to be among the early arrivals of D.P’s in this wonderful, free and prosperous country, my beloved Canada. To be here felt like being next door to Heaven.

Since I had a basic knowledge of the English language, I was sent to Brockville, Ontario, to serve as a ward-aid at the Ontario Hospital for the mentally ill.

The weather on the day of our arrival in Halifax was cold and rainy and the trip to Ontario seemed nearly endless, as we traveled by train.

My early experience at the Ontario Hospital was frightening, because I had no previous training even in the rudiments of psychology, nor any contact with the mentally ill.

One thing I had determined: to learn to speak English to the degree of perfection I was capable of and also to lose my foreign accent. It was too

late for this latter objective. Now I feel that my accent is no hindrance, but, rather, I hope that it adds spice to my speech.

My host Country could not have been kinder, or more generous, and I often thank God for assigning it as part of my destiny.

The Opus No 1 of my life was the loving work of bringing up my daughter and son, aided by my fine Canadian husband, Robert Burns, of Scottish- Irish descent. People joke about him being related to the famous Scottish poet. Robert, by the way, does write Christmas poems to me.

As a miracle, a life-long wish was granted me in 1984, when I had earned the degree of B.A. in English Literature. My joy was double, as my son received his B.B.A. also from Bishop’s University, of Lenuoxville, Quebec, on the same day.

I jokingly say that I am walking in my daughter’s footsteps; she also majored in the discipline I had.

As added relish, The Record, our Eastern Townships newspaper, published a monthly column by yours truly, giving a small taste in journalism.

This, in brief, is the history of a former refugee, who is now an enthusiastic and patriotic citizen, having obtained my citizenship at the earliest opportunity.

I owe a great debt of gratitude to God and to Canada for the privilege of being one of this country’s citizens.

Yours truly,

Marie Ori Burns

P.S. I failed to state that I was born in Budapest, Hungary, and spent the first fifteen years of my life there, until we evacuated in the spring of 1944. We were being bombed by Soviet planes by night and allied bombers by day.

http://www.pier21.ca/wp-content/uploads/files/stories/displacedrefugee/Hungarian_Displaced_Person_Marie_Ori_Burns.pdf

Displaced person (from Second World War) who emigrated to Canada and worked at Dionne Spinning Mills, St–George, Beauce County, Quebec, 21 May 1948.National Archives of Canada (PA 115767)http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/legacy/chap-5a.asp#chap5-6

September 10, 1945 - Canadian war brides on board the aircraft carrier Reaper as it enters the Syndney Harbour.

http://www.cbc.ca/andthewinneris/2012/10/10/songs-my-mother-taught-me-1/

Lim D. Lee, Pharmacist, Chinatown. 1951, Vancouver, BC

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3218263&rec_nbr_list=3218263,3845904&back_url=(http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/arch.php?FormName=MIKAN+Items+Display&PageNum=1&SortSpec=score+desc&Language=eng&QueryParser=lac_mikan&Sources=mikan&Archives=&SearchIn_1=&SearchInText_1=3218263&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&Media=&Level=&MaterialDateOpe

rator=after&MaterialDate=&DigitalImages=&Source=&ResultCount=10&cainInd=0)

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/chinese-canadians/021022-119.01-e.php?&document_id_nbr=104&interval=9&q1=Photo&page_sequence_nbr=1&&PHPSESSID=fnae4f6fhuok2r2ekt170jklp6

Adrian Reaside, Hairy Dog Productions, Inc.;

This is a photo of Debby's father in his 20s in his restaurant, Espanola, Ontario, 1950s. (Photo credit: Debby's family archive)

http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/new_to_canada/2011/04/midnight-at-the-dragon-cafe-and-the-canadian-newcomer-experience.html

In front of Shung Joe’s laundry, Slater Street, Ottawa, circa. late 1950sL to R: Betty Joe, Margaret (née Joe) Hamilton, Mrs. Shung Joe, Unknown. (Courtesy of William Joe)http://livesofthefamily.com/