Online Exhibit Features Immigration to Red Lake, Ontario

The purpose of the exhibit is to bring to life the physical and emotional journey traveled by many immigrants who found their way to live and work in the Red Lake District of Ontario. It is the final phase of a multi-year immigration project which began in June 2009.  The exhibit also acknowledges the contributions these pioneers made in building the prosperous and vibrant community that Red Lake is today.

Conditions surrounding the immigrants' decisions to come to Canada, such as major world events and Canadian government strategies and policies, have also been explored and are presented on this website. Until gold was discovered in 1925, the town of Red Lake did not exist. The area was well known, however, by Aboriginal people and fur traders who lived and traveled along its network of interconnected waterways that extend into Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. When the legendary Red Lake Gold Rush began in March 1926, people from all over Canada and around the world flocked to the north to seek their fortune.

These immigrants and their history have been compiled in an online exhibit. This collection of family histories and photos will continue to expand as more information is provided by the public, creating a free database on Red Lake immigration that is accessible to worldwide audiences and can be used as an educational tool. By the end of 2011, the website showcased 46 immigrant stories explaining their journeys to Canada and the circumstances which eventually led them to live and work in the Red Lake District. There are over 750 photos of individuals and families, and related displays at the Heritage Centre. The Immigration Exhibit at the Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre was part of the Heritage Centre's renewal project which opened in May 2011. Replicas of typical immigrant homes were designed and built, new photos and immigrant stories were shared, and many more artifacts such as jewelry, appliances, clothing, etc. used by the immigrants were set out on display. Two family stories, using research completed by John Richthammer, were digitized and made into vignettes created by Science North from Sudbury, Ontario. You can see the display at the Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre or view the online exhibit if you are not in Red Lake.

Today, approximately 50% of Red Lake's population is made up of first generation immigrants and their descendents. Find out more about these immigrants at the online exhibit "A One Way Ticket: Red Lake's Immigration Story." Visit www.TourismRedLake.ca for more information on RedLake, Ontario.