Immigration: Immigrant Stories

A SCATTERING OF SEEDS-THE CREATION OF CANADA is based on a series of documentary films exploring the dreams, darings and determination of Canada's first immigrants. It is a journey into the hopes and triumphs of the many groups who built a nation. This book draws on a rich archive of home movies, photographs, letters home, diaries, and oral history. The chapters provide personal portraits celebrating the diversity of the first families who arrived during Canada's formative years of nation building. From the early French, Ukrainian and Irish settlers to the more recent Chinese, Japanese, Finnish and Sikh immigrants, this kaleidoscope of images and experiences is unparalleled. There is conflict, oppression and the occasional sinking of hearts, yet the resolve and character of these immigrants is what built our nation and allows it to grow. At the root of each story is the instinct to contribute something, to leave something, to mark the efforts of life. Who we were before we became who we are is our lasting legacy and our greatest teacher. A SCATTERING OF SEEDS demonstrates a profound understanding of community that continues to shape a country still in transition.