Canada: Day 1

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Sunday, July 6th, 2014
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

The bilingual exhibition Canada: Day 1 will be the Nanaimo Museum's feature exhibition from June 2 to the end of summer. Canada: Day 1 invites you to explore immigrants� diverse personal Day 1 experiences, from Confederation to present day. The exhibition is on loan from the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and is hosted in partnership by the Nanaimo Museum and Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society.

Newcomers� unique and shared experiences�across time and cultures�are highlighted in a thoughtful way through oral histories, archival images, original artworks, objects and your participation. Explore Day 1 through the themes of Transitions, Arrival, Encounters, Finding Your Way and Reflections. You will be transported back to your first day in Canada, or inspired to imagine yourself in a newcomer�s shoes. The exhibition also features the immigration stories of Nanaimo families.

The Nanaimo Museum and Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society (CVIMS) are co-hosting the Canada: Day 1 exhibition. The exhibition coincides with the CVIMS's 35th anniversary. "The CVIMS, also known as the Immigrant Welcome Centre, has assisted over 11,000 new immigrants," says Hilde Schlosar, Executive Director at CVIMS. "We help them settle, learn English, find jobs and become members of Canadian society." Canada: Day 1 is the first exhibition the Nanaimo Museum and CVIMS have partnered to bring to Nanaimo. "The exhibition provided a great opportunity for the museum and CVIMS to work together," says Debbie Trueman, General Manager at the Nanaimo Museum. "We are honoured to be the first museum in Canada to host this travelling exhibition."

�We are thrilled to bring Canada: Day 1, Pier 21�s first travelling exhibition, to the beautiful city of Nanaimo, BC,� said Marie Chapman, CEO of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. �Canada: Day 1 is all about sharing the immigration story and enhancing the public�s understanding about what it�s like for newcomers to immigrate to our shores. Canada has been profoundly shaped by immigration and we are proud to present Canada: Day 1, an exhibition reflective of this national heritage.�

Canada: Day 1 is sure to spark ongoing conversations and further reflections on collective Canadian identity through public programming like the Passages Canada presentation at the Nanaimo Museum on Thursday, June 12 at 2p.m. Three guest speakers from the Passages Canada program will share stories of their own immigrant experiences. Admission to the presentation is by donation to the museum.

The Nanaimo Museum is located in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre and is open daily until Labour Day. For more information please contact 250 753-1821 or visit www.nanaimomuseum.ca. The travelling exhibition is produced by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 as a legacy project of our nation�s 150th anniversary in 2017 and supported by RBC Foundation.