European immigrants who came to Halifax after WWII return 75 years later
Global News
Henrik Ziernfeld and Matija Sedej, both in their 90s, arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax on May 19, 1948, after fleeing a war-torn Europe.
Seventy-five years ago, Matija Sedej and Henrik Ziernfield felt the breeze of the Halifax Harbour for the first time.
The two were passengers on a cargo ship titled the SS Marine Jumper which fled a European continent dealing with the aftermath of the Second World War and arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax on May 19, 1948. The ship originally departed 10 days earlier on May 9 from Bremerhaven, Germany.
On Friday, they returned to Pier 21 in Halifax to commemorate the anniversary.
Ninety-two-year-old Matija Sedej said he left communist Yugoslavia because there was “no future” at the time. He embarked on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean toward Canada to pursue work opportunities.
“They gave us a chance to come work here (Canada) … it was supposed to be a one-year contract, but I only worked five months on the railway and then we went to the lumber camp up in Thunder Bay,” he said.
Sedej said he continued to work in lumber camps for the next few months before settling in Toronto. He said the manual labour was “no problem” for him, as he was accustomed to physically-demanding work due to his experience as a farmer back in his home country.
Ninety-seven-year-old Henrik Ziernfeld said he thought Canada was a “wonderful country” upon his arrival.
“Canada was the first county that actually allowed immigrants from Europe to Canada,” he said.
Alberta's UCP government is changing the rules to make it easier for citizens to force a referendum on issues such as the prospect of the province leaving Confederation.
An at-home DNA test given as a birthday gift solved an 80-year family mystery by revealing that a man in Quebec and a man in the Netherlands were long-lost brothers.
Lina Vargas was on the board for almost two years and told Global News that accountability and transparency are fundamental rights for all community members.
Industry Minister Melanie Joly told the House of Commons committee on international trade the move breaches federal contracts tied to manufacturing in Brampton and Windsor, Ont.
A targeted home invasion and kidnapping led to a gunpoint standoff with police and an overnight chase across Toronto. Two suspects remain at large, investigators say.
In a post on his LinkedIn account, Simon Donner says he resigned on Tuesday and he is grateful for the opportunity to help shape climate policy in Canada.
The development charges can vary greatly from city to city, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation report found.
The three leaders will be in Washington, D.C., for the FIFA World Cup draw, marking the first time they will be in the same room together.
Flu season has arrived early, with CHEO reporting eight times more cases than last year as hospitals warn of rising infections among children and seniors.
Nova Scotia’s largest utility is responding to a stinging letter from Premier Tim Houston by insisting it hasn't broken any laws.
A British Columbia Liberal MP said Prime Minister Mark Carney "will have to answer" questions on why he reversed a budget commitment on tax credits in Alberta energy deal.
AFN Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak has said Budget 2025 failed First Nations because it did not include more infrastructure funding and educational resources for their communities.
Conservation officers in B.C. say they've captured four more grizzly bears that are being tested to determine if they were involved in an attack on a school group last month.