Holocaust Survivors' Locations from 1933 to 1939

Building New Lives features 20 Holocaust survivors who came to Canada between 1933 and 1955. On this map, find out where they settled across the country, according to the period in which they arrived. You can switch time periods using the blue buttons in the top bar.

In the pre-war period, very few Jewish refugees were able to come to Canada. Click on the location points to see who arrived before the war, and learn how the federal government in Ottawa was responding to the new refugee crisis.

The different location points where Holocaust survivors settled across Canada.
Place Image Videos
Hamilton Black-and-white photograph of large group of about 35 men, women, and children, dressed in winter coats and hats, grouped together outdoors on a lawn. There is a barn in the background behind the group.
Hamilton 1933-1939
  • Black-and-white photograph of a woman smiling at the camera, standing beside a white horse with her hand resting on the horse’s reigns.
    Life on the Wren Farm, 1938
Ottawa Black-and-white portrait photograph of a man, photo taken from his shoulders up. He is wearing a suit and tie.
Ottawa 1933-1939
Montreal Black-and-white photograph of a busy street scene with vintage cars and streetcars driving up and down a road. Pedestrians walk in either direction on the sidewalks, and there are billboard advertisements posted on buildings’ exterior walls.
Montreal 1933-1939
  • Screenshot of Holocaust survivor Gerhart Maass video testimony. He is sitting in front of a wall with three paintings, and looking to the right of the camera. The camera shows his face and shoulders.
    Immigration to Montreal in 1938